INSTRUCTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENTS

What is an instruction?
 Can you…, please? / I’ll… / I’m
going to…
The nurse uses a mixture of I’ll… and I’m going
to… explain what she is going to do, in order to
make the patient feel more comfortable. I’m going
to… is used to explain a procedure before it
happens. I’ll… or I’ll just… is more likely to be
used when the nurse begins a procedure.
Example:
1. Nurse: I’ll weigh you first. Can you stand on the
scales, please?
2. Nurse: I’m going to take it in your ear with this
tympanic thermometer.
3. Nurse: Can you turn your head to one side for
me, please?
4. Nurse: I’ll put the blood pressure cuff on. Can
you roll up your sleeve, please?
5. Nurse; I’m going to clip the lead onto your finger
so it will give me a reading for oxygen SATS.
More examples:
1. Can you stand on the scales, please?
2. Can you open your mouth, please?
3. Can you bend your leg, please?
4. Can you turn your head to one side for me,
please?
5. Can you bend your arm, please?
6. Can you roll up your sleeve, please?
7. Can you put your arm out straight?
8. Can you hold out your hand, please?
 Which instructions (1-8) can you use with the
following equipment?

Tympanic thermometer _______________

Scales _______________
Blood pressure cuff _______________
Pulse oximeter _______________
Give the instruction to
use the equipment!
Match the abbreviations to their meanings!

1 T A Oxygen
saturation
2 P B Observations
3 RR C Kilograms
4 BP D Pulse
5 Wt E Respiratory rate
6 O2 SATS / SaO2 F Temperature
7 Kg G Blood pressure
8 Obs. H Weight
Written and spoken abbreviations.
Written Spoken
T 36 ³ Temp thirty-six three

P 78 Pulse seventy –eight

BP 125/85 BP one twenty-five
over eighty-five
RR 18 Resps 18
O2 SATS 97% Sats ninety-seven
percent
Say the abbreviations!
1. BP 140/90
2. P 75
3. RR 16
4. O2 SATS 96%
5. T 36²
6. RR 19
7. BP 120/80
8. T 37²
9. P 60
10.O2 SATS 99%
Elicit from the class ways of describing
negative and positive readings.

- +
TEMPERATU Low/down High/up
RE
PULSE slow Fast
RESPIRATION slow Fast
S
BLOOD Low/down High/up
PRESSURE
OXYGEN down Up
SATS
 GIVING ADVICE

You’d better….
You ought to ….
You must…
You should….
You have to…
Put the words into the correct order.
1. see – this – the – should – dentist – I –
afternoon
2. rest – if- tired – you – to – take – are –
ought – you – a
3. too – eat – we – not – much – should
4. the – call – exterminator – have – we- to
5. clean – people – to – the – ought – regularly
– bathroom
Complete the sentences below.
1. It’s cold. …..
2. I have to pay a fine. …..
3. I don’t have enough food for
dinner. …….
4. I am sleepy. …..
5. I will have a math exam next
week. …..
6. My friend had an accident. …..
 LET’S GIVE AN ADVICE !

1. I have a terrible rash on my arms and legs. I

think I’m allergic to dairy food, but it also
might be grass.
2. My husband and I just took a home pregnancy
test, and it came out positive. We want to
know when we are due and we want to make
sure the fetus is healthy.
3. I still can’t walk and it’s been three
months since my accident. I hate being
stuck in a wheelchair.

4. The test results show that I have an

advanced form of blood cancer.

5. My left eye has an infection that won’t

go away and my vision has been blurry
for two weeks now.
6. I don’t want to take any drugs that will
cause me to become addicted to them, but I
do need some sort of pain relief.

7. I’ve been having major chest pains this

week. I’m also having trouble breathing.

8. I get terrible acne and I have tried all of

the products in the pharmacy. I don’t know
what to do now.
9. My baby is not developing properly.
She hasn’t put on any weight in two
months and she keeps getting ear
infections.

10. My husband and I have been trying

to get pregnant for three years. We
have tried everything that the books
suggest.