My friend was telling me about this situation, and I think its really not something thats advised, but am not sure. She thinks its fine. so, i ask the nursing masses their opinion.
My friend is a RN. She has an elderly neighbor that lives alone that she is friendly with. visited her in the hospital recently, called 911 for her when she was confused and couldn't talk clearly one day. brings her food, etc. just normal neighborly stuff.
she recently said that the neighbor has asked her to take her blood pressure. She did take it, and it was high. so friend called the woman's doctor for her. I believe hte neighbor wants my friend to continue to take her blood pressure on occasion. (and she does get regular medical care, so this is in addition, not in substitute of going to a PCP)
anyhoo, i told her that i didnt think that was a good idea. I said, what if you took it, it was high, she didnt do anything about it, then she stroked out and died? I mean, there is a reason we are discouraged from taking BP's on patients visitors (even though they may ask you to). though, i'm really not sure if this is legally wrong, ethically wrong, or if i'm just making it all up in my head cuz i'm too cautious.
So is taking a BP on your neighbor really wrong, or just generally not a great idea, but not absolutely wrong? thoughts?
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Here is a thought...what if neighbor asks you to take BP, you decline (afraid of being sued) and she suffers heart attack/stroke. Family knows she went to you and knows you are capable of assisting...they sue you anyway.
My point is you could face potential litigation either way...as a nurse, wouldn't you rather know you helped someone out?
I don't see how you could get in trouble for not taking someones B/P when you are at home and not working. You taking the BP would not have prevented the heart attack/stroke and if they were concerned they should call their Dr.
That said, I would have no problems taking a BP but I don't see how the above argument would hold up in court.
I don't see a problem with it. I go over to my 88 year old grandmother's house and check her blood pressure every now and then. And if I'm in a patient's home and their spouse/son/daughter asks, I will usually do it. It's always been WNL. And then I just follow it up with "This is not a replacement for seeing your doctor with any concerns about your BP"
I would have no problem doing it. Anyone can sue for any reason. But for a lawyer to take the case, they would have to have some hope that they could win the case. I can't see how taking a BP would meet any of the criteria for either negligence or malpractice.
For *me* the only people I will take blood pressures on or provide medical care are family members or those I am getting paid to care for....an emergency would warrant a good Samaritan situation. I tend to cover my butt these days...unfortunately you never know who will sue----even that nice old lady next door (or her family)....
OMG. People are getting so crazy with this "I might get sued" mentality. There is NOTHING wrong with taking the neighbors blood pressure!!! In fact it's a nice gesture for a neighbor. If her blood pressure is out of the norm then refer her to her PCP, or if it is unstable in any way then refer her to the ED.
There are blood pressure clinics at many senior centers as well as Parish Health Nurses in churches who also take blood pressures. Electric blood pressure machines that are not to expensive are an option ( my in-laws had this).
Unfortunately a nice gesture doesn't always turn out well for the giver.
I don't see how you could get in trouble for not taking someones B/P when you are at home and not working. You taking the BP would not have prevented the heart attack/stroke and if they were concerned they should call their Dr.
That said, I would have no problems taking a BP but I don't see how the above argument would hold up in court.
I think the post was too highlight how ludicrous it would be to sue someone FOR taking the BP....and if someone were willing to try to do that, they could also sue your for NOT doing it when asked, because if you had, crisis may have been averted. NEITHER argument is logical, and that's the whole point.
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I think the post was too highlight how ludicrous it would be to sue someone FOR taking the BP....and if someone were willing to try to do that, they could also sue your for NOT doing it when asked, because if you had, crisis may have been averted. NEITHER argument is logical, and that's the whole point.
Actually I can see more of a gray area for the first scenario (which I have already mentioned) but not the second. Although as I stated, I would have no problem taking the BP.
The poster I replied to that you just quoted brought up another scenario. I gave my opinion on it.
At our school we were not permitted to do VS at health fairs because as students, we were not licensed medical professionals.
We brought this up once and the instructors felt that if we took the blood pressure and it was incorrect and the individual acted on that information and something happened, you COULD be held liable because you haven't passed any level of standard and are not operating under a license of anyone.
That's ridiculous. In most MD offices a "medical assistant" is the one doing the BP. Heck, since I started working as an RN, I can count on 2 hands how many times I've taken a BP- our aids, who are unlicensed, do it.
Specializes in L&D; GI; Fam Med; Home H; Case mgmt.
Would not do it. Even for the sweet little old lady. Sweet little old lady could have a sweet little grandson that's a lawyer and a sweet little lawsuit happy family. You just never know. I'd recommend her to get a self-inflatable cuff that she can use to take her own BP. Then SHE can call her own doctor if she gets abnormal results.
Nope, wouldn't touch it.
I'm not criticizing you AT ALL, really, but what a sad world we live in, huh? That we are so litigation-phobic? But it's with good reason, because people have become litigation-crazy.
actually i can see more of a gray area for the first scenario (which i have already mentioned) but not the second. although as i stated, i would have no problem taking the bp.
the poster i replied to that you just quoted brought up another scenario. i gave my opinion on it.
That's ridiculous. In most MD offices a "medical assistant" is the one doing the BP. Heck, since I started working as an RN, I can count on 2 hands how many times I've taken a BP- our aids, who are unlicensed, do it.
No, it's not ridiculous.
Not sure if you are aware of this or not, but medical assistants in physician's offices can not only take VS's but sometimes administer medications and even give injections in some states because while there they operate under the license of the PHYSICIAN...it is the physician that gets held liable if the MA does something that causes harm.
While a student at a health fair, you are not licensed in anything and you are not in a hospital setting...therefore, unless you are a CNA or an LPN, you have no standard that you have met for testing that renders you qualified to take VS's.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
QUOTE=streptococcus;4185393]Taking, or (Measuring) an individual's blood pressure is a basic skill not a treatment. Your can purchase cheap machines to measure BP at many stores, and these machine do not receive regular calibration either.
Therefore, I cannot perceive how measuring someone's blood pressure is an issue.
]The difficulty would arise when one attempts to provide health care advice related to blood pressure.
Yes. Many times that will be the next question, I've found. "Is that bad?" "I had a headache yesterday, and I ate a bag of potato chips and oh yeah. . ." I'm not afraid of being sued, and if someone was bleeding to death in the street I'd be trying to stop that in a hot second (rather take off-chance of being sued than watch someone die when I might have saved them)
If someone is med compliant and seeing their PCP on a regular basis, and couldn't figure out how to use a home BP cuff with super-giant numbers on it, I would take their blood pressure. Sometimes, though the reason someone asks you, rather than a random person, is because they don't want to go to the doctor and believe that if something horrible is going on, you will be able to magically figure it out by taking their blood pressure. I have a friend who often says, "Take my Dad's blood pressure!!" What she really means is, my dad (is dizzy, weak, has a headache) so please diagnose him.
Also, I'm a big OCD worrywart, so even if I tell them to follow up with their doc, if it's out of range I might be plagued by visions of them stroking out and dying which will be all my fault. But, that's me. :)
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~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN
5,259 Posts
I don't see how you could get in trouble for not taking someones B/P when you are at home and not working. You taking the BP would not have prevented the heart attack/stroke and if they were concerned they should call their Dr.
That said, I would have no problems taking a BP but I don't see how the above argument would hold up in court.