BP cuff not required?!

[erint91DC]

So I just received my acceptance letter for the BSN program at Douglas College! The letter included the supply/book list, instructions, etc.. but a blood pressure cuff wasn't on the supply list? They only list a stethoscope, gloves, scrubs, shoes, books, and penlight. No BP cuff.

Isn't that kind of odd? Maybe they would either have them for us at school, or they'll tell us to buy one during the orientation.

[Compassion_x]

The only time I use my own bp cuff is if I wanted to take someone's bp at home. Honestly.

[Hygiene Queen]

... but never hurts to have your own for back up for times when you need it now and you can't find one anywhere, the electronic machine is on the fritz and when any hospital cuff you do find is a piece of crap.

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

My BP cuff came in handy when we had clinicals in the nursing home. We are required to do manual BPs this semester and with 8 students trying to share 2 BP cuffs, it made for a long wait. Having my own was very useful and I shared it with my fellow students so we could get our assessments done in a timely manner.

[Mandy0728]

So I just received my acceptance letter for the BSN program at Douglas College! The letter included the supply/book list instructions, etc.. but a blood pressure cuff wasn't on the supply list? They only list a stethoscope, gloves, scrubs, shoes, books, and penlight. No BP cuff. Isn't that kind of odd? Maybe they would either have them for us at school, or they'll tell us to buy one during the orientation.[/quote']

Perhaps they will be supplying it for you or have you use theirs. Our list had everything except a stethoscope, so when I asked they said all new nursing students get a littmann stethoscope as a gift.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

Our school did not require us to provide our own cuffs--there were plenty in the lab for practice.

In addition, you cannot use your own in the hospital. One reason, the infection risk (although pretty much everywhere I have worked has used a given cuff on several patients if the were not on isolation precautions). The bigger reason, in my mind, there is no way the hospital can guarantee that your cuff is properly calibrated. I'm not sure how often the hospital is required to calibrate equipment, but every measurement tool we have at the hospital (sphygmomanometers, cardiac monitors, pulse ox devices, etc.) has a sticker indicating their last quality control check.

[christina731]

It really depends on the site that you're at. For my first semester, the LTC facility didn't let us to use any of their stuff for vitals so we had to use all of our own stuff. Including thermometers :/ but since then I have been at hospitals and they don't allow us to use our own stuff for infection control so each patient has their own BP cuff. It just kinda sucks because I can't practice on patients anymore, just outside of clinical since the machines are automated. I've even tried to listen at the same time and the dang machines are too loud so I can't hear. Also, many of the patients on my medsurg floor are on contact precautions so we have to use disposable stethoscopes on top of everything else...which also sucks because I'm a bit hard of hearing so it's difficult for me hear with the lousy ones they give us.

[beckyboo1, BSN, RN]

I was also wondering why gloves were on the list. Seems odd to me. Hospitals I've been in supply gloves.

[christina731]

I was also wondering why gloves were on the list. Seems odd to me. Hospitals I've been in supply gloves.

I was thinking the same thing :/ I'm trying to figure out how you would carry them around all day trying to keep them clean.

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

I was thinking the same thing :/ I'm trying to figure out how you would carry them around all day trying to keep them clean.

It may be sterile gloves to practice open gloving. We didn't have to buy a BP cuff. The school provides them for lab and each patient in the hospital has their own.

[LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN]

Our school makes us buy a nursing kit for 130 bucks for use in SIM lab. Includes BP cuff. And I have always used mine in the hospital as well, no one has ever said anything about infection but that certainly makes sense. I better start leaving it at home. The kits have foley kits, trach suctioning and care kits, dressings, penlight, scissors, all sorts of gadgets to practice with in lab. Total waste of money since the lab has most of these items and we pay for them in tuition and lab fees.

[Everline]

We also did not have to purchase a BP cuff. I bought one for practice on myself and friends before my first semester practicum. I have never used it otherwise, not in the lab, during simulation or at clinical sites. I never take BP manually at the hospital as they have machines for that purpose, with disposable cuffs for each patient. Being able to take a blood pressure manually was a skill we had to learn and I'm glad to know it for the times I might need it. But I have not used that skill at all in my second semester.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

The program that I'm in currently provides us with a BP cuff as part of the lab kit we're required to purchase. I've never used it for anything... now then I do have a BP cuff kit (and I really mean KIT) with detachable cuffs that I got a long time ago. I have every size from infant through thigh cuff. I have used that on a few occasions, but not since I've been in nursing school. Generally speaking, my employers have always provided the equipment I've needed. This is also true with the hospitals I've been in as a student. There has always been BP cuffs available and usually spare stethoscopes if needed, though they're the "not anywhere near good" $12 units.

When it comes to doing vitals, I actually prefer doing the vitals with my own ears. It's nice to be able to "delegate" this task to a machine, but I also know that I'm very good at it.