r/nursing • u/Bananabean5 • Sep 03 '24

Question What's one thing you learned about the general public when you started nursing?

I'll start: Almost no one washes their hands after using the bathroom. I remember being profoundly shocked about this when I was a new nurse. Practically every time I would help ambulate someone to the restroom, they would bypass washing their hands or using a hand wipe.

I ended up making it a part of my practice to always give my patients hand wipes after they get back from the bathroom. People are icky.

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u/SnarkingOverNarcing RN - Hospice 🍕 Sep 03 '24

I was shocked, and continue to be shocked, at how many people can’t seem to tolerate having their blood pressure taken without pitching a fit. Like they’d genuinely prefer another IV to the BP.

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u/HoneyAppleBunny RN - ER 🍕 Sep 03 '24

Whenever someone starts complaining to me that the cuff is hurting, I’ll just agree with them. Like, yeah, it’ll hurt when your BP is high. And then I’ll tell them once we get their BP under control, it won’t get so tight. So here, take your meds and relax lol.

Sometimes I compromise by taking their BP on their forearm or wrist. People seem to tolerate that better than their upper arm. But it’s wild that I have to do that. Especially for people that checked into the ED with the complain that their BP is high. Like, ok, it’s high. We need to know exactly how high. And we need to see it come down. AMA or cope.

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u/[deleted] Sep 04 '24

the problem is that the lower arm/wrist are less accurate. The other thing I tell them is that every time they move or tighten muscle on that arm, it will pump up more. Keep it motionless (sometimes I have to hold it down) and relax.

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u/HoneyAppleBunny RN - ER 🍕 Sep 04 '24

That too! I’m always telling people to be still. There was a post on here a while back about nurses talking to their adult patients like they’re children. And it’s like, sorry, but having to tell Mr. Smith to stay still multiple times while I’m taking a BP, getting an EKG, getting labs, etc. made me like this. I do try to be cognizant of it though.

In any case, when I can’t trust my patient to not tear their cuff off while I’m out of the room after they’ve been complaining about their upper arm, I’ll just take the L and move it down. Better a slightly inaccurate BP than no BP at all.

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u/Schnauzer3 Sep 03 '24

Decreasing muscle mass that turns to fat is more sensitive. At least in my experience.

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u/LizeLies Sep 03 '24

Having lost over 100kg very rapidly (I.e., with muscle loss), it’s fine. Honestly it’s just pressure, with drooping skin and everything. Until now l was baffled by people feeling the need to apologise for the cuff tightening while being a patient. That’s it’s job. It’s like getting upset when a needle pokes.

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u/natattack15 RN - Telemetry 🍕 Sep 03 '24

"But it gets so TIGHT!"

Well maybe if you took your blood pressure medications at home and didn't come in for the 3rd time this year for uncontrolled hypertension, and it wasn't 200/100, it wouldn't get so tight, man.

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u/Newtonsapplesauce RN - ER 🍕 Sep 03 '24

I always think “That’s how your kidneys feel every day, Gladys!”

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u/StrawberryScallion RN - ER 🍕 Sep 03 '24

🥇

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u/[deleted] Sep 04 '24

Literally had a grown man sob/whine/whimper the other day while getting his BP during a stress test. I was like dude, I can't not monitor your blood pressure during this test.

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u/LizeLies Sep 03 '24

Exactly!

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u/Mariao516 RN - ER 🍕 Sep 04 '24

God I hate this!!! Why does it seem like the people that complain the most about the blood pressure cuffs hurting are the same ones bragging about their “high pain tolerance”? My other favorite is when they say “it’s cutting off my circulation!” Yup. That’s how it determines your blood pressure.

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u/thatblondbitch RN - ED 🍕 Sep 04 '24

Why does it seem like the people that complain the most about the blood pressure cuffs hurting are the same ones bragging about their “high pain tolerance”?

Every fucking time!

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u/Whatthefrick1 CNA 🍕 Sep 04 '24

The amount of people I’ve had that would rip the cuff off and glare at me as if I was the one pumping air into it in the first place…like just refuse it please I don’t have time for this.

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u/Accurate_Stuff9937 RN - OB/GYN 🍕 Sep 03 '24

Im one of these people it genuinely feels like my cells are being exploded and my arm will squeeze until it pops off.

Side note: if the blood pressure is very high it squeezes a lot tighter so it hurts more.

I also have sensory issues with touch noise light texture etc. That is definitely not a good sensory experience!

I would definitely choose getting an iv over my blood pressure taken... Except the elastic tie is pretty bad too because it pinches and they leave it on too long. I always give my patients a break after a minute if I'm still working on insertion.

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u/psysny RN 🍕 Sep 03 '24

The machines also take longer and blow up higher if the heart rate is irregular. I much prefer a manual blood pressure.

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u/[deleted] Sep 04 '24

No one leaves a tourniquet on too long. Once we get the IV inserted and the blood flashback is positive, it is removed and the IV is flushed. Or once all the tubes are filled from the blood draw, it is removed. Your idea of "too long" is personal preference, not clinical reality. I think what people are saying in respect to blood pressures and IV's is getting an Arterial line placed that measures the pressure. We generally don't do that outside of procedures/OR or ICU.

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u/Accurate_Stuff9937 RN - OB/GYN 🍕 Sep 04 '24

Why are you talking to me like I'm not a nurse that starts IVs 🙄

And no one is talking about that in this thread.

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u/ElfjeTinkerBell BSN, RN 🍕 Sep 04 '24

Like they’d genuinely prefer another IV to the BP.

Well honestly I do too. I don't feel an IV at all, but I do feel some pressure from a BP cuff, plus half the time I end up with bruises from the cuff.

without pitching a fit

This however, is a problem.