[fultzymom]

Personally, I do not like to use them. It seems as if they read either high or low et I encourage the STNA's to use the manual. If they do use it I try to recheck anything that I find to be out of the ordinary. I would rather recheck et find it is right than for it to be wrong.

[clee1]

Don't like 'em, don't trust 'em.

If I get the least bit hinky about a result from one, or of the vitals don't seem to match the clinical sx, I do it all manually.

[RNOTODAY]

yup, better than myself

[TeleRNer]

Talk about something that causes pain, especially to fragile old ladies with bruises on their arms from this beast!

And sometimes blood pressures that would otherwise be low are not detected by this miracle machine....

The machine does save time, but I would prefer manual BPs. Had a chance to work rehab as a CNA and loved doing it..you really get more of a feel for the state of your patient. Especially hearing a low afib weak heart that pauses then beats up again after the pacemaker kicks in OMG!

[emtrachel]

Something interesting I learned about NIBP machines is that they calculate the BP using the oscillation method, which is different from auscultating a BP. I occasionally wonder about the accuracy of the machines, but I also sometimes wonder about the accuracy of manual BP readings on significantly bradycardiac patients, particularly those with an irregular heart rate. Any thoughts?

[Cattitude]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cher1983
Honestly, to do all the bp's manualy on a med/surg unit, there wouldnt be enough time in a day to get everything done.

Cher

Originally Posted by TazziRN

Uhh.......I wouldn't say that too loudly........there are lots of retired nurses here..........

I had to laugh when I read this. First, I'm not retired, second, when I worked med-surg we didn't have a machine for years and did all BP's manually . Oh yes, we still managed to get everything done .
Thank goodness for progress but I swear, we do become a bit dependent on it. I don't know how they did it 60 70 yrs. ago. I give them oodles of credit because they sure deserve it!

[ZASHAGALKA]

The machines can be very accurate and useful. You were told in school to do manual bps not because the machines are inherently inaccurate but because YOU needed practice taking bps.

Like any piece of equipment, you treat the patient, not the machine. If the machine doesn't seem to be an accurate assessment of that patient, then you investigate.

The biggest and most sophisticated piece of software involved with any machine is YOUR brain.

~faith,
Timothy.

[Spidey's mom]

Originally Posted by TigerGalLE

I worked as a tech for about 6 months. Some evenings I would have 18 patients to do vitals on, feed, turn ect. I was a patient care technician so i could also do blood draws, catheters, dressing changes, blood sugars.... I trusted the machines b/c usually if it was high or low i would check it manually and get the same thing. The pulse was always accurate when compared to the hand held pulse Ox machine. I would count as well if it was high or low and they would be accurate.

If I had to do vitals manually I wouldn't have time to do anything else!! So I am very thankful they exist.. But if you ever doubt them.. definately check it manually!!

Techs do blood draws, catheters, dressing changes, blood sugars . . ?!

I read this occasionally and it still makes me shake my head . . . . what do nurses do then?

Our CNA's do vital signs with a machine and baths and beds and ambulate patients but they do not do what I consider a nurse's job . . .

Amazing the differences in practice . . . .

oh, the op's question . . . . for the most part, yes I trust them if they are used correctly. I always recheck if it seems inaccurate . . . by looking at the patient and assessing the patient and not relying on a machine, as Tim said.

steph

[TigerGalLE]

Ha yea... well sometimes the nurses would make me so angry as a tech. I would literally work my tail off for 12 hours... taking sugars, drawing blood, inserting catheters, baths, beds, ambulating..... And then the nurses would walk out of the room and say.. hey that patient needs to be put on the bed pan... (as I was on my way to take a sugar or draw blood) ... I mean seriously... they acted like they couldn't do it!!!

I learned from them though.. I just graduated and passed my boards.. I will not be one of those nurses!

[marilynmom]

Originally Posted by stevielynn

Techs do blood draws, catheters, dressing changes, blood sugars . . ?!


steph

I'm a tech and we do all the above as well.