Breathing, circulation and body temperature
Vital signs are quick body checks that show if life functions are working well. Nurses check them again and again, because a change is often the first sign that something is wrong.
- Breathing rate: count how many times the chest rises in one minute. Adults: about 12 to 20.
- Pulse: the beat you feel at the wrist. Adults: about 60 to 100 a minute.
- Blood pressure: the push of blood on the vessel walls. A healthy adult is near 120/80 mmHg.
- Body temperature: normal is about 36.1 to 37.2 °C. Above 38 °C is a fever.
- Oxygen level (SpO2): a clip on the finger. Healthy is 95% or more.
Care that helps: sit the person upright to ease breathing, give oxygen if ordered, keep the person warm if cold and lightly dressed if hot, and give fluids.
Giving medicine (administering medication)
Medicine can help a lot, but a wrong medicine or dose can harm. So nurses follow the five rights every single time:
- Right person (check name and ID)
- Right drug (read the label)
- Right dose (the amount)
- Right time (how often)
- Right route (how it goes in)
Routes: by mouth (tablet, syrup), under the tongue, on the skin (cream, patch), inhaled (inhaler), into a muscle or vein (injection, drip). Always ask about allergies first, keep a record, and watch for side effects such as rash or vomiting.
Wound management
A wound is a break in the skin. Skin is our shield, so a wound lets germs in.
- Wash your hands and wear clean gloves.
- Stop bleeding by pressing with a clean cloth.
- Clean with clean running water or salt water. Wipe from the clean centre outward.
- Cover with a clean dressing. Change it when wet or dirty.
- Watch for infection: more redness, swelling, heat, pus, bad smell, fever.
Healing needs good food (protein and vitamin C), rest and no dirt. Deep wounds, animal bites and wounds with dirt may need stitches or an injection against tetanus.
Examination, tests and procedures
The doctor examines the person, and may order tests (blood, urine, X-ray, ECG) or procedures (a stitch, a drip, a catheter). The nurse helps by:
- Explaining in simple words what will happen, so the person is calm and agrees (consent).
- Preparing the person (fasting if needed) and the tray of clean tools.
- Keeping privacy and comfort.
- Labelling samples with the right name at the bedside.
- Watching the person afterwards and writing it down.
A test result is compared with a normal range. Being outside the range is a clue, not a final answer.
Emergency life support
If a person does not respond and is not breathing normally, the heart may have stopped. Every minute counts. The chain is: Check, Call, Compress.
- Check the place is safe and tap the person: "Are you OK?"
- Call for help (emergency number) and ask someone to bring a defibrillator (AED) if there is one.
- Compress: heel of hand on the centre of the chest, arms straight, push down about 5 to 6 cm, 100 to 120 times a minute, let the chest come back up each time.
- If trained, give 2 breaths after every 30 pushes. Use the AED as soon as it arrives and follow its voice.
Do not stop until help takes over or the person wakes.
End-of-life care
When a person cannot be cured, care does not stop. It changes its goal: from curing to comfort and dignity.
- Ease symptoms: pain, breathlessness, dry mouth, restlessness.
- Respect wishes: food, visitors, prayers, where the person wants to be.
- Keep the person clean and comfortable, with gentle touch and a calm room.
- Support the family: listen, explain, allow time together.
- After death: handle the body with respect, as culture and religion ask.
Talking kindly and simply, and just being there, are real care.
Try it
Count your own pulse. Put two fingers on your wrist below the thumb. Count beats for 15 seconds with a clock, then multiply by 4. Run on the spot for one minute and count again. What changed?
In the 3D: go to the last step, choose "CPR", and move the speed slider. Find the green "good speed" zone (100 to 120).
Key formulas and definitions
- Pulse per minute = beats in 15 seconds × 4
- Adult normal: breathing 12–20 / min · pulse 60–100 / min · temperature 36.1–37.2 °C · blood pressure about 120/80 mmHg · SpO2 ≥ 95%
- Five rights: person · drug · dose · time · route
- CPR: 100–120 compressions a minute, 5–6 cm deep, 30 pushes : 2 breaths
- Wound care: stop bleeding → clean → cover → watch for infection
Worked examples
1. A nurse counts 18 pulse beats in 15 seconds. What is the pulse per minute? Is it normal for an adult?
Pulse = 18 × 4 = 72 beats a minute. The adult normal range is 60 to 100, so 72 is normal.
2. A doctor orders 500 mg of a tablet three times a day. How much is given in a day? Which "right" is involved?
500 mg × 3 = 1,500 mg in one day. This is the right dose and the right time. Giving a double dose or skipping a time breaks these rights.
3. A person collapses and does not breathe. A helper presses 110 times a minute. How many presses in 2 minutes? Is the speed good?
110 × 2 = 220 presses. 110 is inside 100 to 120, so the speed is good. The helper should also call for help and use an AED if one is near.
4. A child has a scraped knee with mud. List the steps in order.
Wash hands, stop any bleeding with a clean cloth, clean with running water to remove the mud, cover with a clean dressing, then watch for redness, pus or fever.
Common mistakes
- Counting the pulse for only a few seconds and not multiplying. Count for 15 or 30 seconds, then multiply by 4 or 2 to get one minute.
- Skipping the medicine label check because "I know this tablet". The five rights are checked every time.
- Pressing too softly or too slowly in CPR for fear of hurting. A broken rib heals; a stopped heart does not.
- Putting cream, powder or turmeric on an open wound before cleaning it. Clean first, then cover with a clean dressing.