Do you ever check yourself?

live4today, RN · Jul 31, 2002

I have listened to my heart lots of times. I'm a sucker for anything CARDIAC.....so another addiction, I suppose. :chuckle

alwaysthere · Jul 31, 2002

yes on occasion, sometimes i just take my steth out and listen to my heart beat, i love listening to hearts, theres just something amazing about it...that one little muscle so much depends on.. the body is truly awesome.

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Jul 31, 2002

When I was pregnant, or any nurse was in my old CT ICU, we always used the doppler to listen to baby's heart.

Other than that, I never have been compelled to check my own vitals. I don't want to know! The one time a co-worker convinced me to check my vitals, my BP was 210/120, had to go on antihypertensives. I am glad she forced me to do it now, I had suspected a problem, but was in denial.

Now, I never check my own vitals, not unless I am at walmart, I usually check it on the machine there. I do always check my pulse ox whenever I am taking it out of the office for the day (we only have one) or, in the hospital, when I wanted to check to see if it was working properly.

pebbles, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2002

I guess I ckeck my pulse, O2 sat and BP every now and then. Once, on an abnormally quiet day, my co-worker hooked me up to the ecg... I have very cute p waves, and no arrythmia whatsoever. :)

Most of the time....

Who has time to check that stuff? Every shift means you either have too much time on your hands or you worry too much....

I put the pulse oximeter on my own finger to check it if it isn't reading the patient's pulse. And I checked my glucose once because I was feeling a little off.

I'd be freaked about going through ultrasound or any of the more detailed tests for no good reason... I know I'm fine - I don't need expensive tests to tell me that!

Sleepyeyes · Jul 31, 2002

That's cool mario!!

I don't do that much myself at work because I was a GI frequent flyer as a kid, and it helped to learn all about the stuff I was seeing. So I got to see UGI and LGI, VQ scan, Xrays, infiltrated IV's, phlebitis, chest tubes, foleys, and all that from the "wrong side" of the bed. :chuckle:

Today, I was the pt. again, and I told hubby how I used to learn all the stuff so I wouldn't go totally nuts waiting endlessly, so he got into it, and hooked me up to the 3 lead ekg to see my pretty SR :imbar woohoo!

Playing doctor at my age.... :chuckle

l.rae · Jul 31, 2002

l don't do this very often, when l am at work, l figure it doesn't matter if l'm knockin at deaths door as long as he don't answer till my shift is over ....then co-workers won't be mad....might even send a daisy...LOL.........LR

micro, RN · Jul 31, 2002

well today, things are so billed and automated.....that you can't even do a bladder scan without it being into the system and etc.....

but, hey, always will listen to my own lung fields, heart rhythm, bowel sounds.....

have doppled pulses on myself.....though i knew they were there....the whoosh of the circulatory system is soo cool.....

at another place of employment where glucometers were not part of the system and into the computer, would take my own blood glucose for the heck of it.......

hey, and grab a quick pulse oximetry on myself as I am taking the portable pulse ox to a patient for a check.....

the portable vital machines....I do not like nor trust, so no i don't use them on myself or patients, unless doing blood or other very frequent vitals......

hey, i try to give blood, so for free, I know my iron level.........usually not able to give as I am always borderline anemic.........hey, had a plate of liver and sauerkraut tonight.....

no, I don't give blood to know any status....but that is a whole 'nother thread.........with unpolitical correct connotations, so i will try to not digress.....

I do get a thrill when going over my own lab work.....cause it is all good.....of course this was correctly and through the system.....with the bill behind it.....but like hey.....almost as young as the twelve years old that I feel somedays.....

close with that one.....

micro on out'

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 31, 2002

YOU DO NOT EVEN WANT TO KNOW WHAT I THOUGHT INITIALLY WHEN I READ THIS QUESTION: (!)

(hint, I am an OB NURSE, need I say more, rofl). And yes, I have patients and s/o who DO "check" themselves for labor progress before coming in! Just had to share that w/you!:chuckle

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2002

I've taken my BP on my finger with a 1 inch wide preemie BP cuff.

nursedawn67, LPN · Jul 31, 2002

When I was in the hospital working as a CENA I did.

nurseratchett29 · Jul 31, 2002

I check my 02 sat when i first come in every a.m. I run up the 6 flights of stairs (my only daily exercise) every a.m. on the way to my office. I do pretty good for a recently quit nonsmoker old broad. I also check my blood sugar from time to time because I tend to forget to eat and then realize it when I'm diaphoretic and ready to pass out. I don't check my bp because we don't have that newfangled automated stuff in my office but I have listened to my lungs on occasion