Nursing: First Aid Skills and Medical Devices

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving procedure used by many health care workers. It is a combination of chest compression and breathing to help get the heart pumping again and return oxygen flow throughout the body.

Display slide 11. Begin by reviewing the the steps of CPR using the Adult CPR Steps by the American Red Cross.

Move to slide 12 and play the American Heart Association’s 2010 Guidelines for CPR video. As the video plays, have students mimic the demonstrated steps.

Review the steps of Child & Baby CPR outlined by the American Red Cross. Move to slide 14 and play Cincinatti’s Children’s CPR for Infants (Newborn to 1 Year) video. Again, have students follow along and practice the steps.

Go to slide 15. Review with students that the C.A.B. acronym is often used to remember the steps of CPR:

1. C – Compressions: Start with 30 chest compressions, pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100-120 per minute.

2. A – Airway: Tilt the head back slightly to open the airway.

3. B – Breathing: Give 2 rescue breaths, ensuring the chest rises.

Proceed to slide 16, and provide students with the Step-by-Step CPR Card for adults and infants. Inform students that they will be given a scenario and will need to determine the correct steps to do based on the prompt that is shared.

Share one of the following scenarios for students to decide the steps to take for CPR:

Scenario 1: You're at home watching TV when you hear a loud crash in the garage. When you rush in, you find your dad, Tim the Toolman Taylor, collapsed on the floor. At first, you think he may have just slipped, but when you check on him, he’s unresponsive and not breathing.

Scenario 2: You're babysitting your nine-month-old cousin, Tommy Pickles, when you notice him putting a small toy in his mouth. Before you can stop him, he suddenly starts coughing, then goes silent and struggles to breathe. His face turns red, and he appears distressed.

Follow along to see if the students are completing the correct CPR protocols for each scenario.

Introduce the activity by showing slide 17. Display slide 18, and explain to students that when they visit a doctor one of the first things that will happen is a nurse will collect your “vitals” or vital signs. Inform students that these measurements provide important signals about a patient’s overall health and help a doctor determine to if medical attention is needed.

Let students know that today they will practice using various medical devices to measure vital signs, just as nurses do during a routine check-up. As you transition through the following slides, consider demonstrating how each device is used.

• Slide 19: Introduce the type of thermometer being used and explain its operation. If using a non-contact thermometer, let students know that they may need to get close to use the thermometer but that they shouldn’t touch it to the forehead.

• Slide 20: Explain that a stethoscope is a medical device that allows healthcare professionals to listen to internal sounds, particularly those of the cardiovascular (heart) and respiratory (breathing) systems.

• Slide 21: Introduce the sphygmomanometer (commonly known as a blood pressure monitor and cuff), which is a device used to measure the blood pressure of patients. Explain that a normal blood pressure reading is generally less than 120 systolic (top number) and less than 80 diastolic (bottom number). To reduce anxiety or worry, reassure students that a single high or low reading is not necessarily a cause for concern—blood pressure is best evaluated over time.

• Slide 22: Explain that a pulse oximeter is a device that measures the oxygen level in the blood and helps assess how well oxygen is being absorbed and circulated throughout the body.

Once all devices have been introduced, divide students into groups of three or four. Distribute the Physical Check-Up handout to each student. Students will use this handout to fill in their group members vital signs, as well as their own, while they move from station to station.

Each station should take 5–10 minutes, allowing enough time for students to collect and analyze their readings.

Begin by explaining to students that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide. The heart’s job is to regulate the movement of oxygenated blood, ensuring vital organs receive the oxygen they need to function properly. Many factors can impact heart health, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise. Regular physical activity is one way to maintain heart health by preventing cholesterol buildup in the arteries. Invite students to do a couple of activities to see what happens to the oxygen in our blood over time when we become active.

Move to slide 24 and review the steps and normal vital readings that students will collect for each activity. Be sure to reduce anxiety by letting student know that there are many reasons they may get a reading out of these zones, and they may all not mean health issues. 

Display slide 25 and review the steps that each pair of students will complete before they begin:

• Station 1: Allow your body to rest for 1 minute. After the minute, measure and record vital signs at your table.

• Station 2: Walk around the room for 1 minute. After the minute, measure and record vital signs at your table.

• Station 3: Jog or run in place for 1 minute. After the minute, measure and record vital signs at your table.

• Station 4: Reflect on the following questions with a partner and record responses:

  • If exercise helps prevent heart conditions like strokes, why does blood pressure rise during physical activity?

  • Is it possible to exercise too much?

  • What factors contributed to the increase in blood pressure during exercise? What is the name of this process?

  • Why is it concerning if blood pressure is high even at rest?

Conclude the activity with a class discussion, encouraging students to share their observations and insights from the exercise.