Course Description
Doing vital signs is one of the most basic things taught in nursing. In the first week of nursing school, all RNs, LVNs, and CNAs get oriented on a thermometer, a blood pressure machine, a stethoscope, and an oximeter. These few numbers that we gather mean a lot about the patient’s medical condition, so much so that in critical areas, this is monitored every 2 hours and in lesser acute units every 4 hours or at least once every shift. CNAs need to know what these numbers mean, what is accepted as normal, and what the critical highs and lows that need to be reported to the licensed nurses right away. Vital signs are usually the first indicator that the patient’s medical condition is deteriorating and may need immediate intervention.
Learning Objectives
- Acknowledge the significance of body temperature.
- Acknowledge that low blood pressure may lead to organ failure including damage to the brain cells.
- Know that irregular heart rates may be indicative of major heart problems. A 12-lead EKG would be necessary to know the definitive cardiac rhythm.
- Know that the patient with insufficient oxygenation may deteriorate really fast and should be given supplemental oxygen right away.
- Know that pain could affect the other elements of the vital signs.
- Acknowledge that any number outside the normal values should be reported right away to the licensed nurse to properly evaluate the patient.