Practicing B/P

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Hi everyone,

I just have a quick question:

Can I practice taking BPs on myself?

We just started skills lab today and we started with vital signs of course. Well I was having a hard time getting the hang of it. I kept forgetting to turn the dial when I was done, and was leaving my poor classmates with this tight cuff on for a little too long. I couldn't hear the first thump too well (but that was partly due to the noise of my classmates). So I live alone and I want to practice outside of lab, can I do it on myself since there's no one around?

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I think it would be tough to coordinate all of the steps on yourself, but you could put the cuff on and practice deflating it slowly, which many people find to be the toughest part.

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Specializes in SICU, MICU, CICU, NeuroICU.

You could practice on yourself to get the hang of it. Listen carefully for the first sound and soon enough you'll get the hang of it.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

sure, you can practice on yourself. when you leave the cuff on too long and your arm starts to hurt and turn blue then you'll remember to deflate it!

here is a link to an online virtual blood pressure cuff that you can practice taking blood pressures on for as long you as want. it will help you "hear" the sounds you need to learn.

  • http://medicine.osu.edu/exam/ - from ohio state university college of medicine, an interactive guide to physical examination for 8 body systems and includes sounds. to access the blood pressure cuff, scroll down to "objective iv" and click the link that says "take a blood pressure". when the player comes up, you can re-cycle the player over and over to hear and input blood pressure readings that it quizzes you on.

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sure, you can practice on yourself. when you leave the cuff on too long and your arm starts to hurt and turn blue then you'll remember to deflate it!

here is a link to an online virtual blood pressure cuff that you can practice taking blood pressures on for as long you as want. it will help you "hear" the sounds you need to learn.

  • http://medicine.osu.edu/exam/ - from ohio state university college of medicine, an interactive guide to physical examination for 8 body systems and includes sounds. to access the blood pressure cuff, scroll down to "objective iv" and click the link that says "take a blood pressure". when the player comes up, you can re-cycle the player over and over to hear and input blood pressure readings that it quizzes you on.

well, first i have to chuckle at your first sentence. second, i wish i could thank you more than once. you are always such a wealth of information.

kris

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I practice on myself, plus I have HTN and it's easier (and more accurate) to take my own than to go stick my arm in the machine at the grocery store. Yes, learning the proper speed at which to release the valve is the hardest thing to get comfortable with. I did use that website Daytonite recommended, and it makes it much easier once you know what to listen for.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
sure, you can practice on yourself. when you leave the cuff on too long and your arm starts to hurt and turn blue then you'll remember to deflate it!

here is a link to an online virtual blood pressure cuff that you can practice taking blood pressures on for as long you as want. it will help you "hear" the sounds you need to learn.

  • http://medicine.osu.edu/exam/ - from ohio state university college of medicine, an interactive guide to physical examination for 8 body systems and includes sounds. to access the blood pressure cuff, scroll down to "objective iv" and click the link that says "take a blood pressure". when the player comes up, you can re-cycle the player over and over to hear and input blood pressure readings that it quizzes you on.

thanks so much, i went to the site and it helped me listen for the first and last thumps. once again you save the day!!!

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Good question - I feel like I'm amputating the arms of my classmates. This is so foreign to me.

(I even keep putting my stethoscope on backwards)

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Good question - I feel like I'm amputating the arms of my classmates. This is so foreign to me.

(I even keep putting my stethoscope on backwards)

Thats okay, I've been a CNA for 5 yrs and the first day of lab I wore my steth backward for about 4 hours!;) I must have been nervous!lol:lol2:

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