Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

bongo — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:01:01 GMT

we regularly do BP checks, either for senior screening, cats on BP meds, thyroid cats, kidney failure cats etc. we always do them with the owner present and holding the animal as long as they are happy to.

i think we had a lunchtime training thing with the fortekor rep, i remember finding them very useful as I had never done it before.

i have to agree, nurses better than vets at this role, we just have more patience i think!!

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

les punton — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:00:27 GMT

personally I dont think we use ours enough, but its a great piece of equip once you get the hang of it!

I really wanted to start up senior clinics (we done them at last practice and were fab) but not really got the time to do them now

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Mac Feather — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:39:32 GMT

The Novartis rep was really useful regarding b.p monitoring. I have to say I was no use at it- had no patience for it but its amazing watching other V.Ns get the hang of it and really enjoy it.

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Leigh Hinsley RVN NCert(BDev) MBVNA — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:16:12 GMT

Thanks everyone! I feel more confident its achievable now! I'll contact the fortekor rep and have a chat with them by the sounds of things! Thanks again guys!

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Caro Laithwaite VN — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:54:18 GMT

or use with/around a nurse with bad tinitus

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Nick Shackleton — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:54:17 GMT

[quote user="sisterscope1"]

...but not in theatre if you're using electrosurgery = deaf nurse/anaesthetist!

I never turn the doppler on until after I've secured it to the patient, if you know anatomically where the artery is, isn't usually too difficult to find it and saves a hell of a lot of screaching/picking up radio 4 whilst searching!

[/quote]

i normally just have it on speaker in theatre just to annoy the surgeon tee hee

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

sisterscope1 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:51:55 GMT

...but not in theatre if you're using electrosurgery = deaf nurse/anaesthetist!

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

loobylou — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:47:07 GMT

Us nurses routinely measure blood pressure here, vets are rubbish at it

We had a rep from the company who make fortekor (cant remember the name!) come out and give us a demonstration. They also had a big folder with loads of useful stuff for running senior clinics

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Nick Shackleton — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:34:54 GMT

one tip would be to use headphones as the interference sounds can spook the patient!

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Maisy — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:23:32 GMT

Used to do BP measurements routinely for senior pet clinics. Vets were okay about VNs doing it, though the machine was a pest to use so practiced lots on anaesthetised patients beforehand!

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Kim Buckley — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:53:32 GMT

We do quite a lot of blood pressures on regular patients. They come in as part of a geri profile which involves a blood test, urine sample and blood pressure. The vets don't get involved except for talking about the results. It's really simple to do once you know how!

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:46:45 GMT

The nurses at our practice are better at it than the vets......... they just dont have the patience

I like doing it, and usually if a vet has an appt that involves BP, they will send it to the nurse for that part of the consult, then come in and do the consultation afterwards.

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Nick Shackleton — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:53:44 GMT

[quote user="Leigh Fisher"]

[quote user="Nick Shackleton"]

[quote user="Leigh Fisher"]

Ohhhh - so you have to be a boy to work machinery?!

They were talking about it in the use of monitoring cats with CRF and hypertension. Might start practicing on some sleeping victims before I approach the partners!

Thanks for your (somewhat slightly sexist) help!

[/quote]

No not at all! You said thanks for the help girlies at the end of your original post!

Just ensure that the probe is either at or below the base of the patient's heart or else it'll read wrong

[/quote]

Shame on me - I take it all back!! Thanks for your help though Nick!

[/quote]

It's ok I kno I'm in a minority on here!

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Leigh Hinsley RVN NCert(BDev) MBVNA — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:51:48 GMT

[quote user="Nick Shackleton"]

[quote user="Leigh Fisher"]

Ohhhh - so you have to be a boy to work machinery?!

They were talking about it in the use of monitoring cats with CRF and hypertension. Might start practicing on some sleeping victims before I approach the partners!

Thanks for your (somewhat slightly sexist) help!

[/quote]

No not at all! You said thanks for the help girlies at the end of your original post!

Just ensure that the probe is either at or below the base of the patient's heart or else it'll read wrong

[/quote]

Shame on me - I take it all back!! Thanks for your help though Nick!

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Sally Howe — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:47:48 GMT

In a previous practice we sent out questionaires with a sample pot to collect urine. We started at the over 10's and worked backwards. We did basic urine test, TPR, offered blood tests and BP

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Nick Shackleton — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:46:01 GMT

[quote user="Leigh Fisher"]

Ohhhh - so you have to be a boy to work machinery?!

They were talking about it in the use of monitoring cats with CRF and hypertension. Might start practicing on some sleeping victims before I approach the partners!

Thanks for your (somewhat slightly sexist) help!

[/quote]

No not at all! You said thanks for the help girlies at the end of your original post!

Just ensure that the probe is either at or below the base of the patient's heart or else it'll read wrong

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Leigh Hinsley RVN NCert(BDev) MBVNA — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:45:38 GMT

[quote user="rozzavn"]Blood pressure monitoring is a good thing to get into your clinics and once you get the hang of it it is something you can do while the client restrains the cat. The way we run ours is, we sent the client a questionaire with questions about water intake, diet, etc etc which they bring in with them for their appointment. If there are any issues, we can focus on them. We then do blood pressure monitor, then bloods, and we get them to bring a urine sample in too. The manufacturers of blood pressure monitors sometimes have a dvd of how to get the best result, which is useful. Ps this is my first ever post, how exciting!

[/quote]

Welcome to the family!! And congrats on your first post - just be careful - it gets addictive! Sending out the questionnaires is simple but genius! Saves me time and ink - brilliant!

Thanks hun

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Leigh Hinsley RVN NCert(BDev) MBVNA — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:43:20 GMT

Ohhhh - so you have to be a boy to work machinery?!

They were talking about it in the use of monitoring cats with CRF and hypertension. Might start practicing on some sleeping victims before I approach the partners!

Thanks for your (somewhat slightly sexist) help!

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

rozzavn — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:42:34 GMT

Blood pressure monitoring is a good thing to get into your clinics and once you get the hang of it it is something you can do while the client restrains the cat. The way we run ours is, we sent the client a questionaire with questions about water intake, diet, etc etc which they bring in with them for their appointment. If there are any issues, we can focus on them. We then do blood pressure monitor, then bloods, and we get them to bring a urine sample in too. The manufacturers of blood pressure monitors sometimes have a dvd of how to get the best result, which is useful. Ps this is my first ever post, how exciting!

Re: Nurses and blood pressure monitoring

Nick Shackleton — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:39:39 GMT

Hey there Leigh,

We don't do nurse clinics (100% referral), but do routinely monitor BP under GA including use of DOPPLER BP monitoring equipment.

Have done it post operatively on a few in mates too. Particularly useful in monitoring of feline patients with chronic renal failure.

Althou, I'm a BOY!