Taking Patient Vitals

[Jg4001]

So I started out shadowing this doctor and now I volunteer for him and take patient vitals (height,weight, bp), as well as take patient history and review patient medication. I am applying to medical school next year so I just wanted to know if any of these things are illegal/frowned up/unethical. Let me know what you guys think!!! Thanks in advance

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[GreatScott15]

Everything's fine since you're under his supervision. Just don't disclose any pt info on apps/interviews.

 

[premeddestiny]

So I started out shadowing this doctor and now I volunteer for him and take patient vitals (height,weight, bp), as well as take patient history and review patient medication. I am applying to medical school next year so I just wanted to know if any of these things are illegal/frowned up/unethical. Let me know what you guys think!!! Thanks in advance

I think as long as the doctor double-checks your input and/or you are certified (e.g., a CNA) it's ok.

 

[RNtoMD87]

If you aren't at least certified as a CNA and he isn't watching you do it, I'm not sure I would disclose this.

 

[eaglebaseball4]

What you’re doing is completely fine and legal. You are technically working underneath his license, which is common in the medical field. Another example of this would be like an emergency room tech who does not have a CNA works underneath the license of a nurse.

 

[getdown]

it's fine

 

[aldol16]

That's fine. A lot of patient care techs do this - it's weird that he's having a volunteer do it but it's fine.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

You're taking vitals and asking basic questions about the visit... it's not neurosurgery. Literally the cracked out guy on the street corner by my school could do it if you gave him a 10 minute training session. No one is going to think this is "unethical" lol

 

[RNtoMD87]

You're taking vitals and asking basic questions about the visit... it's not neurosurgery. Literally the cracked out guy on the street corner by my school could do it if you gave him a 10 minute training session. No one is going to think this is "unethical" lol

Taking BP isn’t as simple as slapping a cuff on. It’s easy to mistake korotkoff sounds when newly trained for instance. And there’s more to it than that.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Taking BP isn’t as simple as slapping a cuff on. It’s easy to mistake korotkoff sounds when newly trained for instance. And there’s more to it than that.

In the vast majority of places that's exactly what it is..... OP never specified if he was manually taking the BP or not (still fairly simple and something a pre-med volunteer could do after practicing a few times).

 

[RNtoMD87]

I'm really not so sure. Nursing students and MAs have quite a bit of difficulty getting an accurate reading. There are a lot of factors involved. I just don't think its that simple. I wouldn't say after a few times. Maybe a few weeks. It's not extremely complicated but that doesn't mean an untrained person could reliably do it.

At my hospital even CNAs do not take accucheks or vitals.

 

[getdown]

Taking BP isn’t as simple as slapping a cuff on. It’s easy to mistake korotkoff sounds when newly trained for instance. And there’s more to it than that.

That's why most clinics have moved on to automated BP machines. Put the cuff on, press a button and BP shows up. Dummy proof the system so you can get the least trained individual to do it and pay them nothing for it.

 

[RNtoMD87]

Oh I haven't seen that in clinics, we use them in the ICU where it takes the blood pressure intermittently, but in clinics I've usually seen the BPs taken manually. My girlfriend works in a clinic as an MA and I had to let her practice taking BPs on me a LOT.