Pulse Ox

i understand your frustration well. i, too, used to think the same way until i saw the prices. just a quick check on the internet found this site http://www.turnermedical.com/ any medical supply that carries them will sell one to you. most of the models used in the hospitals run about $400 or more. are you wanting one to do pulses or to do oximeter checks? if i were you i would bone up on respiratory assessment of normal and oxygen-poor states so you don't miss any of the cardinal symptoms. not having a pulse ox available is not an adequate excuse for missing someone's compromised oxygenation. i put together some links on respiratory subjects that might help you in this:

http://medicine.ucsd.edu/clinicalmed/lung.htm - the lung exam

http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec04/ch055/ch055a.html - respiratory failure

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003075.htm - patient education page on breathing difficulty (retrieved doing a search for sob)

http://www.ccmtutorials.com/rs/oxygen/index.htm - all about oxygen, a tutorial about oxygen with a section on pulse oximetry

i eventually purchased a wrist blood pressure cuff which i often let the cnas in the nursing home use and they loved it because vital signs went quickly for them and i think the technology factor had something to do with it as well. i didn't think it was that accurate for b/ps. i just always trusted my ears more, but it was great for doing pulses--as long as the patient's pulses weren't too irregular. technology, gotta love it.