Can't take blood pressure

[djmac]

I am trying to help my wife out. She is in her senior year of her nursing program. She has never been able to take blood pressures accurately. The way she describes her problem is that she hears her own pulse in the stethoscope instead of the patients. She doesn't seem to be getting any help from her instructors, in fact the current instructor is "God's infallible gift to nursing" so therefore can not imagine anyone else having problem that is legitimate. Has anyone heard of someone else having a similar problem? How did they work around it? My wife's instructor says she aware of some nurses paying other nurses to take BP's for them because for one reason or another they are unable to. Thanks in advance for your help.

Dan

[cassioo]

I've never heard of paying someone to take blood pressures for you but you can hear your own pulse in your ears. Does your wife have a friend in the program who can help her listen to b/p's with a dual headed stethescope I'd hope they have at the school? Sometimes they are very difficult to hear. Maybe she needs a different stethescope. In the program I was in and the one I teach in they wouldn't make it out of 1st semester if you can't take a b/p. Is she able to listen to a pulse?

[AmandaWIRN]

I would say she needs a better stethoscope- I also have never heard of nurses paying others to take blood pressures, and I also have never heard of a nurse making it to her senior year without being able to take a blood pressure. Most facilities now have automated blood pressure cuffs, but taking a manual blood pressure is still a "must-have" basic nursing skill. I use the Littmann Cardiology III, and I like that it is dual-sided, so if I have a hard time hearing something with the regular diaphragm, I can turn it around & use the higher-frequency bell. A good stethoscope may cost more, but you definetly get what you pay for.

[cougarnurse]

Could she be using her thumb to hold down the bell? The thumb DOES have a pulse of its own. And yes, some places do have electric BP kits. Is she able to use those?


'Cat'

[SoldierNurse]

djmac; ask your wife to register here & post her own description of the BP process. Then, we can get a better picture of the problem.

... my 2 cents

[busy-bee]

I have seen a few nurses place a pillow under the arm of the patient the bp is being assessed in. I agree, she needs a better stethoscope too. There are alot of shabby sthethoscopes out there. Better to buy a good one then continue with this problem.

[Neversettle71]

With the limited knowledge provided I agree that a quality stethoscope such as the Littman Cardio III could help. Ensure she reviews the procedure for using a diaphragmatic stethoscope.

[dimples2515]

I had that same problem during my first semester of nursing school. The problem was my stethoscope. The bell of it was turned around so I couldn't hear anything. Don't know if that could be the problem or not but thought I'd share because I know how frusterating it can be.

[Happeetxn]

Just my .02 here but I have to agree with the person who commented on making sure her thumb isn't on the bell, and also the person who said to make sure the bell was in the right position to hear thru it. I have an Adscope and a Littman (the Littman was a freebie).
Craig

[djmac]

Good News! I found a digital scope with volume control and she said it works great. Thanks for all your helpful comments.