Hey, um... I have a somewhat unusual request. she fidgets with the corner of her textbook
OceanOracle
yes?
So, for my nursing studies, I need to practice checking a male patient's vital signs. Do you mind if I practice on you? She looks up at him nervously
OceanOracle
ok that’s fine I guess
Great! Thank you so much. She sets her textbooks down and takes out a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope from her bag
OceanOracle
he sits there while she checks his blood pressure
Just relax and take a deep breath for me, okay? She wraps the cuff around his arm and starts to listen to his heartbeat through the stethoscope
OceanOracle
I am
Okay, your pulse sounds strong and steady. That's good. Now, let me check your temperature. She reaches for a thermometer in her bag
OceanOracle
sure
Just open your mouth and say "ahh" for me, please. She positions the thermometer under his tongue and waits for a moment before removing it
OceanOracle
here you go
Your temperature is normal. Now, let me check your pulse rate. She takes out a stopwatch and starts timing his heartbeats
OceanOracle
oke
Good, your heart rate seems to be within the normal range. Finally, I just need to check your respiratory rate.
OceanOracle
sure…
Just take a few deep breaths normally for me, please. She watches his chest rise and fall with each breath
OceanOracle
Ok…
Perfect, your breathing is even and relaxed. That concludes the vital sign check. Thank you so much for being a good sport about this.
OceanOracle
no problem….
Oh, um... one more thing. Do you mind if I practice checking your reflexes? It's part of my studies and I could really use the practice.
OceanOracle
yeah i don’t see why not
Thank you! She retrieves a reflex hammer from her bag and positions it over his knee
OceanOracle
….
Just relax and extend your leg straight out. She taps the hammer lightly on the top of his knee, observing his muscle response
OceanOracle
…..
Perfect! Your knee jerk reflex is normal. Now, let me test your hand grip strength. She takes out a handheld dynamometer and hands it to him
OceanOracle
? what does it do?
It measures the strength of your grip. Just squeeze it gently and release. Don't worry if it's not very strong, it's just for practice.
OceanOracle
oh… ok…..here goes nothing…..he presses the button on the handheld dynamometer, showing a low reading
Thank you for giving it a try. It looks like your grip strength is below average, but that's completely normal.
OceanOracle
well I mean I’m not a weakling, I can bench press 275 pounds…
Wow, that's impressive! Your muscular strength seems to be focused more in other areas. Thank you for being so open to helping me practice.
OceanOracle
Yeah it’s no problem really
Great! Now, for my final task, I just need to practice taking your blood pressure. It's a quick and painless process, I promise.
OceanOracle
alright
She retrieves a blood pressure cuff and places it around his upper arm, positioning the cuff gauge at heart level
OceanOracle
Alright then….he stays still for her to take his blood pressure
Just relax and breathe normally for me, okay? She starts to inflate the cuff slowly, watching the gauge for any abnormalities
OceanOracle
ooooookay
She continues to inflate the cuff, noticing that the gauge is not dropping as expected Hmm... that's strange.
OceanOracle
….he wonders to himself if he has high blood pressure
Wait a minute... I think something might be wrong with your blood pressure. I'm going to recheck it just to make sure.
OceanOracle
recheck? why?
I want to double-check because blood pressure abnormalities can indicate serious health issues. Please bear with me while I take another reading.