I Just started LPN school this week and I need a little advice from the pros on this wonderful site...:bow:
Can anyone offer any tips for taking vitals....
I have no problem finding pulses except sometimes the brachial, I am doing well with bp, however, sometimes I have trouble with technique. Sometimes I feel like an elephant in a china shop, I want to be able to progress through full set of vitals without the awkwardness. If anyone has any tips as far as body positioning, both mine and the patient, tips for trying to take respirations, which is sometimes difficult, sometimes it's not easy to see the rise and fall, is there a certain way I should be standing. I'm just trying find any little info that might help out any. I know I will get better with practice, and I have been, we were required to a full set on all 37 of our classmates. We have to test on this next week and I would appreciate any advice. Thanks.:):)
I'm assuming you take manual blood pressures...I know they are more accurate but at my hospital we use automatic ones unless the blood pressure seems abnormal, then we'll confirm it with a manual one. When I'm going around doing vitals, I count the respirations when I'm taking the patient's blood pressure. If I'm in my "nursing role" and I'm listening to the apical pulse, I'll count respirations that way. It works for me.
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tammy1974
44 Posts
This is all great advice and GREATLY appreciated, Thanks a million!