Blood Pressure, Peri Care, and Rectal Thermometers

It has been another long day. Thankfully I only have two more days left of classes. Next week I start my clinical's which means that I will be have to be there by 6:00 am or 0600 military time... which I learned today :) So maybe I shouldn't wish away this week and 8:00 am class time. I also learned today how to take vital signs, blood pressure, temperature, and respirations. I learned how to take temperatures orally, axillary (armpit), and.... anally. You'd be surprised to hear that I am most upset/frustrated/worried about the blood pressure. I cannot hear the heart beat to save my life.  I hope I don't get that skill for my state test. I am required to perform 5 assigned skills, 3 of which I will not know until the day of, for my state test. I would rather get Peri Care (washing of the genitals) as my skill than blood pressure... Yes, I hate it that much! :) Mom brought home a cuff and stethoscope tonight for me to practice so maybe we will get it down. I sure hope so. I also learned a little bit about charting stuff down, which I will hardly ever do as a CNA. Too bad because that seems the easiest of today. We also learned about range of motion. ROM is basically an exercise or stretch, but for your joints not your muscles. It is a series of movements that I must perform on the patient, mostly bed ridden patients, to help prevent them from getting stuck in one position. That was a pretty easy skill too. It wouldn't be bad if I got this one on my state test either. I am beginning to like this class more and more everyday.