Stupid assessment question!

With pulse you start at zero. Resps you start at one.

Check out this site: It is a favourite of mine:

http://cal.fmc.flinders.edu.au/gemp/ClinicalSkills/clinskil/default.htm

Hope that helps.

Ok I have been a cardiac/critical care nurse for just over 14 years and have never heard starting at zero when counting the rates. I don't even understand what the rationale would be, if you start at zero the first beat doesn't count. The link that was posted didn't say anything about starting at zero.

Yah they taught us to start at 0 in basic assessment but I agree that it doesn't seem to make sense!

Thanks for the website I will check it out!

we were taught zero as well, which I think is gotta be wrong. How can a heat beat not count??

anyone care to clarify that???

this is probably the dumbest question but i swear i have "mommy brain" being back in school after having a baby, even thouh its been 9 months since he was born lol!

ok, for assessment - one of the two (pulse and respirations) requires that you start out with 0 and then count...i.e. 012345 and so on.

is it respirations or is it pulse? :sofahider i am thinking pulse but i want to be sure. can't believe i'm making such a "duh" :trout:question but i want to be on the ball here!

does anyone know of any good websites for refreshing nursing student skills? if that makes any sense?!

i agree with the rest of the posters it is the pulse and btw there is no such thing as a dumb/stupid/duh question...can't know if you don't ask! :)

I never heard of starting at zero either!