Knowing Your Vitals Is Vital

For about a month the first thing I did after I got up every morning was test myself on all these values. 

I wish I had of done it sooner than I did.  During the break between the second summer and fall semester you should make sure you learn these values if you didn't memorize them already.  You will be starting Med Surg I and you will be in specialty areas like the operating room, post anesthesia care unit, telemetry unit, intensive care unit, emergency room, and other areas as well.   

You will absorb way more information if you understand your vitals and where the patient is at.  

Knowing your vitals is also very important when giving meds.  You don't want to give a patient anti-hypertensive medication if their BP is 90/50, or their heart rate is below 60 beats per minute.  They can bottom out and code on you.  And if you are implicated in accidentally killing a patient you can get the daylights sued out of you.  Even as a student.  They don't require you to have insurance for no reason.

I have all these values in a little notebook I carry around with me at all times when I'm in clinicals.  

I got these values from out of the assessment textbook, but organized them in a way that makes sense.  This should be a help to students in the first summer semester as well.  These values are important for your Physical Assessment Class.


TEMPERATURE

Axillary       36.0-36.5 C   95.0-98.9 F
Oral             36.5-37.0 C   96.0-99.9 F
Rectal          37.0-37.5 C   97.0-100.9 F
Tympanic    37.6-37.8 C  97.4-101.3 F  

Stick the thermometer in the patients mouth before you start on anything else.  This will save you time. 

When you're in clinicals some hospitals use 3M brand disposable thermometers.  Be sure to read it within 10 seconds of taking it out of the patient's mouth.  Some nurses will say to wait.  That's wrong.  The temperature reading on the dots will begin to change once exposed to the cooler air.  For all the nerds out there, you can click on the link below:  

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_EU/Healthcare-Europe/EU-Home/Products/InfectionPrevention/SingleUseThermometers/

RESPIRATORY RATE     12-20 breaths per minute

Older Adult                        15-22 breaths per minute

PULSE RATE/HEART RATE  60-100 beats per minute


In a previous post I recommended you get a semi-decent watch.  This is what it's for.  You need an old school watch with the hands that count seconds.  30 seconds for pulse 30 seconds for respiratory rate.  Double both those values and you've got your times.



BLOOD PRESSURE
Hypotensive:   < 90/60 mm HG           Low Blood Pressure
Normotensive:    90/60-120/80            Normal Blood Pressure
Prehypertensive:  120/80-140/90         Borderline
Stage I HTN:      140/90-160/100          High
Stage II HTN:   >160/100                       Very High

After you graduate from the program you will likely never use that BP cuff again.  Actually scratch that.  After you are finished with Assessment class you will likely never use it again.  All the hospitals have electronic machines.


Questions, comments, suggestions: ramonbritt@gmail.com