Nursing School Diaries

Day One – Washing Hands and Vital Signs

“Great”, I said to myself, “we’re sitting around a table and staring at each other.” Ten of us waited around the lab table wondering what clinical skill the instructor would first present. Our faces reflected fear and uncertainty. Not the fear you see in horror movies before a character enters the haunted house, but the fear of the principal’s office kind of fear. Our instructor informed us we would be measuring blood pressure. Thank god because anything invasive and some of us would require smelling salts.

Does Watching ER Count For Extra Credit?

Prior to the demonstration, we introduced ourselves to the group and described our medical experience. As it turns out, experience ranged from paramedic to watching two or three episodes of “ER.” I think someone asked if watching “ER” would give us extra credit. This question was answered with chuckle and a resounding “no.”

Washing Hands

Our instructors really stressed cleanliness and hand washing before demonstrating blood pressure measurement. This seemed very strange that instructors would spend anytime on this concept. We were all adults and listened to our parents when they said to wash before dinner or following a trip to the restroom. However, the astronomical costs associated to nosocomial infections drove this point home. It seems that healthcare workers move from room to room completing their assigned tasks and forget to wash their hands, resulting in the spread of infection from room 322 to 323. Prior to moving on to the next skill, everyone washed their hands and the instructor critiqued our technique.