Hey, CNAs.......got a question for all of you!

Nurses General Nursing

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My daughter is taking a CNA course through her ROP program. This week they're learning how to take VS, and she said the instructor told them they do NOT need to get stethoscopes. I told her to ask what they're expected to do if the machine does not register a BP for a pt......when I was an aide (back in the dinosaur days!) we were expected to then take it manually. For that I needed a scope. Is this not taught anymore? Her 17th birthday is next week and we were going to get her a scope of her own.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

She needs a steth. The instructor needs re-educating.

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in my cna class we were all told the same thing ... and also told but you will need one upon finishing this class. in other words we were welcome to use the schools supplies until we got our own. most of us already had our own since we were taught VS in A&P II and were told in there that we would need them later on.

glad you are getting her one. she will love practising on all her friends! my family is a little bored with me knocking on the door ... introducing myself... telling them 'im washing my hands', and explaining what im about to do. it helps for later on. we have clinicals for the next 2 weeks at a local nursing home. cant wait

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Specializes in Med Surg.

Good Morning!

I had a first responder class to which the instructor did tell us that if you are having a hard time hearing the pounding to watch the needle bounce and that would give you an good estimate of the BP. However, he did stress the importance of checking again with different equipment or having a co-worker check it out with a stethoscope.

Working in a hospital (right out of CNA training) I use my stethoscope all the time. I think if she is using it a lot everyday like I do to try a better model, not a littman or anything like that, but a little nicer than the cheapest one.

Also being a nursing student myself, you will always have pts that you work with on the job that will let you practice your learning skills on them ie lung and bowels sounds, so it's always good to be prepared. Hope that helps!

Good Luck to your daughter!

Christy:wink2:

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Wow, I'm surprised at the number of people that don't use/weren't taught to do manual VS. BP is almost as guaranteed on the state exam as handwashing around here. I have yet to have a job where there was no need for a CNA to have a steth, I've used mine when equipment wasn't working or was in use by someone else, to double check an "off" reading, etc.

Best of luck to your daughter, Tazzi!

RNin'08

~my reality check bounced~

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While we weren't required to own one. We were required to take a bp and be within 6 points (total) of what the tester got. So if we took the bp and got 118/75 and the tester got 120/70 (using a learning steth) then we would have to pay to retake the manual skills test.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.
Tazzi, your daughter's instructor is doing a big disservice to those she is supposed to teach.

I totally agree!!! I work in LTC and our CNAs must take BPs manually. We don't even have an automatic BP machine. We do have house stethescopes that the aides use, I don't think any of them actually bought their own. I have and use my own as I always take the BPs of my residents on high BP medicine.

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I teach a CNA course at a local community college and I do not encourage my students to get their own stethoscopes. I do teach them how to take a BP manually and they are tested on that, but I don't feel it is necessary for them to have their own. All places that I have ever worked have plenty of stethoscopes avaliable. Since the amount of time in an 8 hour day spent taking VS is so minimal, when most CNA's are done with VS for the shift, they put away the equipment. If she has her own, she might put it down and then never see it again, someone may pick it up thinking it belongs to the facility. In my opinion, buy her some scrubs for her birthday. When she gets a job, she will know if she needs one and then you can buy her one for Christmas. Good Luck to your daughter!

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The problem with "house" stethoscopes is they are usually cheap and don't have good "sound" if you will.

Of course I'm speaking as an RN - I was never a CNA. But I would want my own.

steph

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Specializes in I hope to specialize in pediatrics.

I am a CNA in a LTC facility right now, and we never need stethoscopes. The nurses take the BP's and I am sometimes asked because they know I am a nursing student and they have stethoscopes at work. In my CNA class we were taught how to take BP's.. but honestly there is no time for all of that as a CNA working in LTC.

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Specializes in Home Health, PDN, LTC, subacute.

Got a nice one, can hear really well, lightweight, one-sided from Allheart for $4.99!

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Heck, I would get her a nice one anyway just as a nice gift of encouragement. I got a few steths for presents when I got into RN school from family and I used one mainly...but it was the fact that people cared about supporting me that really counted!

I know at my ALF I worked in, steths went missing all the time...so we used the house ones. All of our med carts had bp cuffs, steths, regular themometers, and a stop watch (in case you didn't have a second hand on your watch or something). We cleaned them after every use, and I would just quickly clean them before I used them as well (habit). I would rather have the company fork out the money on those if they were to go missing than me!

I would make sure you teach your daughter how to take a manual BP if she is not being shown how. All my CNA's and caregivers knew how or I showed them if they were having a difficult time. If they had difficulties I was called anyway to double check (and any odd readings).

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YOO HOO!!!! *waving madly*

Now that I've got your attention.......thank you SO much for your opinions about the scope. However........the students ARE being taught to take manual BPs. That is not the question. The question was, should she have her OWN scope or not? I did not think about the walking scopes and she has a habit of "setting things down", so it might not be a good idea right now.

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