Ms. Coburn
Ms. Coburn is a 26-year-old schoolteacher. Her maternal grandparents immigrated to America from Brazil. She smokes one pack of cigarettes a day and has smoked since she was 16. She is 20 lbs overweight.
She made an appointment because she started to have headaches and frequently felt tired.
You take Ms. Coburn’s vital signs.
Ms. Coburn’s respiratory rate is 14 breaths per minute, and her pulse is 86 beats per minute.
Ms. Coburn’s blood pressure is 164/98 mm Hg.
Ms. Coburn asks whether this means she is healthy.
1. How can you tactfully reply to Ms. Coburn?
After caring for Ms. Coburn, you see the need to educate Ms. Coburn about the different types of vital signs.
You determine that the priority is to focus on hypertension and ways to prevent or control elevated BP. You state, “We need to watch your blood pressure closely over the next few weeks. In the meantime, remember, you decided that you are going to walk for at least 15 minutes 3 days a week; you are also going to try to eat foods with less salt and think about not smoking anymore.”
Ms. Coburn has purchased an electronic blood pressure device for home use.
2. When Ms. Coburn returns for her follow up visit, how will you evaluate her status? Think about why she came for treatment initially as well as the education provided on her first visit.
