Teacher Megan McMullen´s Anatomy class has been learning about the circulatory system. As a learning exercise, they learned how to measure each others’ blood pressure from several different body points.

There are several students in the class who are currently working on their CNA Certificate. These students demonstrated to other students how to properly measure blood pressure they then observed and to made sure their classmates were doing it correctly.

¨Mrs. McMullen asked us to observe our group and make sure they were counting the ticks correctly,¨ senior Breannali Dominguez said. ¨We were not using the digital monitors that state the blood pressure; they had to actually count the ticks and measure it themselves.¨

Students measured their blood pressures lying down, sitting up, before exercise and after exercise. They repeated these procedures several times.

¨We had to measure our blood pressure at different times doing different activities,¨ senior A´sia Bradley said. ¨We had to compare our numbers to see if they were healthy.¨

Students in the CNA program gave helpful tips to their classmates on how to properly check the blood pressure, as well, as what methods work best.

¨We told them not to check their pulse with their thumb because the thumb has its own pulse,¨ senior Sydney Woith said. ¨We told them it would be better for them to use another finger.¨

The CNA students have been working on clinicals and so have had some prior experience.

¨We have learned to check blood pressure, but never on an actual person,¨ Dominguez said. ¨This was our first time getting actual hands-on experience with a real person instead of a dummy.¨

Students said that they were excited to be able to get experience that they will use in the workplace after they graduate.

¨It is really fun being able to get hands-on experience with what we are learning,¨ Woith said. ¨It is even more exciting knowing that we will actually use this in our career and that it is not pointless.¨