Vital Signs Assessment Paper

Ms. Howard is a 78 year old Caucasian female who is being admitted to the hospital. She has presented to the hospital with sepsis and hypertension. She appears to be short of breath and obese. Being the nurse who Ms. Howard is assigned to, we will be completing the admission. The admission will include a physical exam, complete health history and vital signs. Vital signs
Vital signs are a vital part of the physical assessment of a patient. They are useful in monitoring and detecting medical problems. They can help to identify acute medical problems and the severity. Vital signs include a reading of temperature, respiration rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, pulse and pain. Various equipment and producers are used when taking vital signs.
Temperature
There are …show more content…
Procedure-blood pressure manual. Supplies needed: blood pressure cuff, sphygmomanometer and stethoscope
1. Position patient in conformable position with arm exposed, level with heart, palm up
2. Place appropriate size cuff 1 inch above the antecubital fossa. Cuff should be smooth, snug and attached to sphygmomanometer.
3. Place bell of stethoscope over the brachial artery and listen for pulse
4. Inflate cuff until you no longer hear pulse while watching sphygmomanometer
5. Slowly deflate blood pressure cuff (rate of 2-3 mmHG per second)
6. Listen for the return of pulse. The reading on the sphygmomanometer at the first sound of the pulse is the systolic blood pressure.
7. Continue to deflate blood pressure cuff until you no longer hear the pulse. The reading on the sphygmomanometer at the time that you no longer can hear the pulse is the diastolic blood pressure
8. Deflate the cuff quickly
9. Remove cuff
Oxygen Saturation Procedure-oxygen saturation. Supplies: pulse oximeter
1. Place probe on finger or other acceptable location