I passed my state CNA exam a month ago. Taking blood pressure is no longer part of the required skills for CT CNAs, to my surprise. Third graders are still taught long multuplication using pencil and paper before being allowed to use a calculator in 7th grade pre-algebra.
I was given a list of residents (LTCF) to get vitals, so I got the "nurse-on-a-pole" (the rolling vitals machine), and went to the resident on the top of my list. The cuff wouldn't inflate. I told the nurse, and she said to use hers, and handed me a sphygmomanometer. I was impressed she was even able to pronounce it; I said, "oooohhhhh, you mean the manual blood pressure cuff thingy. What do you want me to do with this?" The nurse ended up taking the vitals.
My CNA course took about 10 minutes on the manual blood pressure cuff thingy - I practiced it in class twice; that was 2 months ago.
Any CNAs know how to use the manual blood pressure cuff thingy?
Is knowing how to use it part of your state's exam?
It was required for my class. I didn't get it on the exam, but a classmate did. I think it's very important. Of course, practice makes perfect and if you are in LTC there are going to be people with really hard to take BPs.
Also, my LTCF doesn't have the auto ones... only manual. And you're lucky if you can find both the bp cuff and a stethoscope on one nurses cart without hunting down another cart.
I don't know about the other states, but for the 12 states listed above, only Nevada requires taking blood pressure (manually) as a CNA skill.
That's interesting. I took the skills test in one of those states in 2009 and drew manual BP and pulse as one of my stations. We had to do it a certain way too, first checking BP by palp and then for auscultation pumping up the cuff to 30mmhg above what we got by palp. I think you had to be within 4mm hg for systolic and diastolic if I remember right.
I'm guessing they took it out as a skill just because a lot of people were failing the station, and checking BP by auscultation is somewhat of a subjective thing, with two qualified people sometimes getting slightly different results on the same patient, so students were probably continually protesting their failed test to prometric.
The need to know how to do it hasn't changed any though. Its still as important now as it was before.
How is this not required in every program? What would you do if you worked a cardiac unit? Have a patient in Afib? Do a home visit? This really needs to be a required part of the exam, period!
How is this not required in every program? What would you do if you worked a cardiac unit? Have a patient in Afib? Do a home visit? This really needs to be a required part of the exam, period!
Yes but even when it is a skill that is tested not everyone is tested on it either. Besides just because it is not on the skills test anymore does not mean that you are no longer taught how to take a BP in your classes!! we are also taught how to work a hoyer in class, but that is something that is not on the skills test. BP will always be taught in the classroom, but we just don't have to worry about it anymore for state testing to become a CNA.
I'm not a CNA yet but am in the classes now. It is not part of the Minnesota CNA skills test but we were all taught the skill and spent quite a bit of time on it. I actually plan on getting my own set to retain the skill in case of an event like yours.
Wow, this is crazy. Blood Pressure is on the Georgia Skills test. It was one of my measurement skills. I was taught BP in CNA school, but I already knew how to do it from medical assisting school.
VampyrSlayer, CNA
546 Posts
It was required for my class. I didn't get it on the exam, but a classmate did. I think it's very important. Of course, practice makes perfect and if you are in LTC there are going to be people with really hard to take BPs.