Tutor profile: Holly W.

Why is public health important?

Every community needs to look at the demographics of their population to determine needs, resources and preparation available in order to help their community to thrive. The population and resources of a rural community is going to have different needs, demands and problems than that of an urban community. Understanding these differing demographics is essential in creating a healthy and thriving environment for each and every community.

You have 3 patients on to be seen at the beginning of your shift and you need to prioritize which patient to see first. How do you decide how to schedule your assessments.

The first thing you need to do is look at the diagnoses and severity of your patients. I tend to use the ABCs of CPR for how I prioritize my patients. If they have a breathing or circulatory problem, they would come before a patient that was stable. Additionally, patients who are newly admitted would take precedence over a patient that was getting ready to be discharged as they are obviously more stable. You also need to pay attention to any scheduled procedures or medications and make sure that you will assess those patients before they leave for a procedure and have their scheduled medications promptly.

What do you do if you have a patient that continuously has abnormal blood pressure readings in the office?

First of all, don't always trust an electronic reading. You must assess what the blood pressure reading is and what may be causing the abnormal readings. Low blood pressure can mean that they are dehydrated or stood up too quickly. High blood pressure can be from pain, anxiety, anger or genetic. Look at how the patient is feeling and any other symptom. It is best to take the blood pressure from a the left arm unless contraindicated and in a sitting position. If the reading is abnormal. Have the patient rest for a few minutes and retake. It is also important to learn how to take the blood pressure manually as this is the most accurate and reliable method.