If the rate is still unusual, alert the hall nurse and they will come do their own count. If you have gotten a strange reading on a patient, especially one you are not familiar with, redo your count by going all the way to 60 seconds. When you get your 15 second count and tally up the whole number, keep in mind what the proper beats are. Make sure you follow your own guide for the skills test, but keep in mind that 15 seconds is typically plenty for on the job work. Even though when you take the skills test you are instructed to take the pulse in increments of 30 seconds and multiply by 2, many CNA’s at the nursing home will only do a 15 second count and multiply by 4. In most facilities, getting the radial pulse is part of the vital sign assignments. The radial pulse of our patients can tell us many things. Student must tell when to start and end count.ħ) Recorded the pulse rate within + or – two beats per minute of pulse rate recorded by evaluator. Student does this first, then evaluator locates pulse on opposite wrist.ĥ) Determined whether to count for 30 seconds or 60 seconds.Ħ) Counted pulsations for 30 seconds and multiplied the count by 2 or for one minute if irregular beat. Careful monitoring of the pulse is a useful diagnostic tool for both the nurse’s assistant and the rest of the medical staff.Ģ) Positioned resident, sitting or lying down.Ĥ) Placed fingers over radial artery. If you cannot see an open injury, look for signs of internal bleeding. If the patient is experiencing significant blood loss, they may also have an elevated heart rate. If the patient is fighting an infection, they may have an elevated heart rate and you will want to look for other signs such as fever that may indicate a problem. A higher than normal pulse rate is usually the result of exercise, stress, caffeine, or drug use. Certain medications can either increase or decrease heart rate, so ask your patient if he or she takes any medication. Patients who are physically fit or who are resting may have a lower rate. For adults, the pulse rate should be between sixty and eighty beats per minute. There are several indicators of an abnormal pulse.
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