To think this nurse was unprofessional?

[ThisCoolOP]

So I went for an appointment at my GP surgery to try and verify the accuracy of two home blood pressure monitors we have in our house. The two monitors give virtually identical readings to each other for everyone in our family - but for my sister one reads 10 - 15 points lower than the other on thr systolic number.

During the appointment, my sister attempted to explain the situation and that she wanted to compare both machines against a manual reading. The nurse immediately told her to "just bin" one of the machines without any attempt to even compare it

The nurse then proceeded to only check one of the machines (the one that reads lower). When the machine displayed a reading of 150/100, she then performed a "manual check" and literally immediately stated "yeah 150/100". Might be just me, but this rapid confirmation seems like the nurse was simply just re-stating the reading she had seen on the machines screen (literally told me her reading was the exact same number) rather than conducting a genuine, independent manual verification. Her pre-judgement of which machine was correct was evident from the beginning, as she refused to consider checking the second machine, despite my clear explanation of the discrepancy of both machines for me, but identical readings for the rest of the family

As a result, I was left in the exact same position I was in before the appointment. I actually suffer from anxiety and came back in tears at how sharp and unhelpful she had been, and because it seemed she had made her mind up there and then she was only checking one machine and that was the correct one (despite them giving the same readings for everyone else), i don't trust what she told me at all

She doesn’t need to check both, she just needs to check 1 & a manual one to confirm - which she did.

As i said, didn't just take up an appointment on purpose like some comments seem to be implying :( filled out the form online our online surgery portal explaining the issue. It was triaged and they could have quite easily told had to go to a pharmacy. Instead, they booked an appointment! Didn't book to intentionally waste time like some comments are being quite harsh about :(

So go to a pharmacy and check the accuracy with their machine. Or buy a new one. You can resolve this yourself so easily.

"Had she actually checked both machines to see how far out each one was, that would have set mind at rest. "

Taking multiple bps in a short period of time can raise the readings. That's not an accurate check.

She is a nurse, not a biomed tech. Your doctor's office is not there to check and service your home medical equipment.

Set whose mind at rest? Yours or your sisters?

why do you think the nurse had made her mind up beforehand which machine was more accurate? She had to do one first. If the first one is accurate then that’s that problem solved. You have an accurate bp machine you can use 🤷‍♀️

She doesn’t need to check both! One & a manual reading confirms the accurate one, which is what she did.

If you think you know better than a nurse then you would be able to do a manual reading yourself to check, yes?

You asked for advice from the nurse, you got it, if you want to waste someone else’s time pay for their time.

I have to take my blood pressure every day and can get different readings dependent on where my arm is situated in relation to my heart.
I voted you were unreasonable as you have wasted a GP appointment on this. It’s not even as if your sister is the one who needs an accurate blood reading. Are your readings consistent?
if your blood pressure was too high you’d probably have symptoms ( which you become familiar with if you have high blood pressure regularly).
worrying about your bp machines and nurses attitudes is not going to help your bp. You’d be better off meditating.

Well you didn't take up an appointment by accident did you? You asked for one, and went to it. That's on purpose.

Again...... just to point out! Was not us who asked for the nurse appointment like alot of comments are implying. Wrote on online portal explaining the issue, with readings from one machine being very high (which is actually important). It was triaged and if it was disgusting or unreasonable behaviour - wouldnt have been given an appointment. The surgery could have quite easily said we had to go to the pharmacy if it was that unreasonable but they didn't. They triaged. They gave the appointment....

You're taking the p£ss. Last time I was at GPs for something innocuous, the nurse took my BP numerous times, got other machine and even one of those old fashioned bulb ones. She got the GP involved and he wouldn't let me leave because they thought I might have a stroke/cardiac arrest. I was there for over two hours - despite presenting as calm andI felt ok. I've had surgery cancelled before anaesthesia because mad BP. Luckily, meds seem to have sorted. Not a smoker, drinker or someone who takes the piss out of the NHS!

Yes you do. The one she checked is giving accurate readings therefore if you are saying they are always different then the other is inaccurate.

Although to be honest it doesn’t matter if the second one is inaccurate or not because you only need one machine and the nurse has identified an accurate machine for you/your sister.

Firstly check the manufacturer instructions on how to calibrate the machines. Then take 3 consecutive readings and use the aversge

Actually, did not ask for appointment ourselves! Sent a message on the online portal explaining how one machine was giving very high readings, but the other lower to see what their advice was. They triaged it and they gave the appointment. Didn't ask ourselves for the appointment!! So not on purpose at all

I'm still confused about why you thought either of the machines was incorrect.

But she really only needed to check one because if she did a manual check against the first one and the numbers were the same then clearly that one is correct. I would wager that the other one was probably also correct but she didn't check that one.

How are we taking the piss exactly????

Would taking the piss not be phoning the surgery up and clogging the phone lines for people with urgent problems that need to get through on the phone that day?????

We filled in the online portal for advice with one machine reading very high and the other low. Didn't request an appointment ourselves or on purpose or anything like that. Someone from the surgery triaged it and gave an appointment

This can't be serious but a troll! Who does this??? BP changes instantly..
You waste time of precious appointments i can't never get cos of people like you!!!!!

Is there a particular reason for this being such a group effort, with such convoluted story telling?

If you are thinking the nurse didn't check properly because she was quick, that's a mistake - it's really easy and quick for even non-nurses to do a manual BP. It would probably take me about 15-30 seconds and I'm not a nurse.

It's literally how long it takes you to inflate the cuff then slowly deflate it. The machines take longer because they take longer to inflate as they have to sense when they've lost the pulse. When you are listening, you just pump to where the pulse stops, then smoothly deflate til it returns and then disappears. It's really quick compared to the machine.

You can look online at tutorials and see how quickly it is done.

Anyone else struggling to work out who had what appointment with what machine and may or may not have high blood pressure ?!
Im tired, my powers of comprehension are not what they should be!

This is the sort of thing I get absolutely obsessed with when my anxiety is very high. I have diagnosed high blood pressure and can get obsessive with my readings. One time, when I was going mad over something that seemed so important like this, my DH said "This isn't a blood pressure issue, it's an anxiety issue" and I felt the penny drop. A good reminder to take my anxiety medication!

Also, your sister's blood pressure is probably just more changeable that the rest of the family. Mine can change 10 - 15 points in seconds when I overthink it. So both machines are probably correct, but her blood pressure is literally just changing between the two readings!

I personally think that was a waste of an appointment, it is not the nurses job to verify the accuracy of your machine, are you aware that blood pressure machines should be sent back to the manufacturer once a year for re calibration to ensure accuracy, this is your responsibility if the machines belongs to you, obviously if the surgery has loaned them out then the responsibility is theirs, so basically is it your machine or the practices? IMO this an outrageous expectation and comment on your behalf. To summarise, as has been commented on go and get a pharmacy check, if high then book GP appt, wasting an already overstretched resource is unconscionable when you had the option of pharmacy etc also the comment re the nurse accusing her of unprofessionalism who acted perfectly reasonably was not at all appropriate.

There’s a lot of chat about “ we” !

Again...... because of people like me?????? We weren't on the phone clogging up phone lines asking for an appointment! We filled in a message on the online portal for advice with one machine reading very high and the other low.... didn't ask for an appointment ourselves. Someone from the surgery triaged and gave the appointment! So to say you can't get an appointment because of "people like me is unfair".......

As an earlier poster has recommended, honestly I would ignore the 2 blood pressure monitors you already have because they are causing potentially unnecessary concern. Buy or borrow another one for the 7 day monitoring and stick with that to get consistent readings. Even if the readings show hypertension then at least after 7 days monitoring the doctors/nurses can investigate what the issue is potentially and advise from there. (Poor service from the nurse however. Shame about that and no excuses but maybe this hot weather or an issue outside of work has made working difficult for her today).

Yes, because talking about us combined as in booking the appointment which I'm replying to! As alot of people are calling it disgusting behaviour and shirty comments "because of people like me" when it was not us who actually asked for the appointment! Didn't phone up and clog phone lines to try to get an urgent same day appointment or anything like that