Study guide · Vitals & Triage
The full set: vitals
Practice vocabulary for routine vital-sign checks. Roberto is the patient in this example.
This guide practices phrases used when explaining routine checks and asking basic questions. Follow your assigned role and clinical instructions. The exercise does not replace a nurse's assessment.
Work through the steps in order. Review the phrase IDs and the patient's answer, then complete the check. If the patient reports a new symptom or you do not understand the answer, stop and tell the nurse.
Step 01
Explain the checks
Tell the patient which routine checks you are about to perform before you begin.
Say this:
Voy a tomarle la presión arterial.
I'm going to take your blood pressure.
Say this:
Voy a tomarle la temperatura.
I'm going to take your temperature.
Say this:
Necesito revisarle el pulso.
I need to check your pulse.
Roberto says back:
Está bien. Me la tomaron ayer también.
That's fine. They took it yesterday too.
Check: Why announce all three jobs before you start?
A patient who knows what is coming holds still and does not flinch. The set goes faster and the numbers are truer.
Step 02
Choose the arm
Follow your clinical setting's procedure for selecting an arm. If the patient mentions an IV, fistula, surgery, or another concern, pause and ask the nurse what to do.
Say this:
Súbase la manga, por favor.
Please roll up your sleeve.
Roberto says back:
Tengo la vía en este brazo.
I have the IV in this arm.
Check: The IV is in this arm. Where does the cuff go?
The other arm. A line, a fistula, or a mastectomy side rules the arm out. You never take a pressure over a line.
Step 03
Blood pressure cuff
Tell the patient before inflating the cuff. If they report pain or you notice a concern, pause and follow the unit's procedure.
Say this:
Este brazalete le va a apretar el brazo.
This cuff will squeeze your arm.
Roberto says back:
La última vez me dolió mucho.
Last time it hurt a lot.
Check: He says the last cuff hurt. What do you check before you inflate?
The arm. Bruising, tenderness, a hematoma. A painful cuff on a bruised arm is a finding you report, not a thing you push through.
Step 04
Temperature
Explain how the temperature will be taken. Follow the device instructions and local procedure when food, drink, or other factors may affect the reading.
Say this:
Voy a tomarle la temperatura.
I'm going to take your temperature.
Roberto says back:
¿En la boca o en la frente?
In the mouth or on the forehead?
Check: Before you trust the number, what do you ask?
What he just had to eat or drink. Just a coffee still counts. Hot liquid lies to the thermometer, so you wait or you chart it with the note.
Step 05
Pulse and breathing
Follow the assigned procedure for checking pulse and breathing. If the patient reports new or worsening breathing difficulty, stop the routine and notify the nurse immediately.
Say this:
Necesito revisarle el pulso.
I need to check your pulse.
Say this:
Respire profundo.
Breathe in deeply.
Say this:
Exhale lentamente.
Breathe out slowly.
Roberto says back:
Me cuesta soltar el aire.
It is hard for me to let the air out.
Check: He cannot get the air out. Is the set still routine?
No. Trouble moving air out is new information, not bad technique. Report it; do not finish the set.
Stop here: New breathing trouble stops the set. You tell the nurse exactly what he said, and the interpreter comes with the nurse. You do not finish the set first.
Step 06
Oxygen sensor
Explain the sensor and check its placement according to device instructions. If the reading seems inconsistent with the patient or you are unsure what to do, tell the nurse.
Say this:
Voy a revisar su oxígeno.
I am going to check your oxygen.
Say this:
Esta pinza va en su dedo.
This clip goes on your finger.
Roberto says back:
Me aprieta. ¿La puede aflojar?
It squeezes. Can you loosen it?
Check: The number reads low and his fingers are cold. Do you chart it?
No. Warm the hand, check the polish, reposition the clip. A bad sensor makes a bad number, and a bad number becomes a bad decision.
Step 07
Fever
Ask about a reported fever as directed. Report the timing and associated symptoms to the nurse rather than deciding the problem has resolved.
Say this:
¿Ha tenido fiebre?
Have you had a fever?
Roberto says back:
Ayer en la noche, sí. Me temblaba todo.
Last night, yes. I was shaking all over.
Check: The fever was last night, not now. Does it still count?
Yes. A fever last night is still a fever. Shaking chills go straight to the nurse. You do not decide it resolved on its own.
Stop here: A fever that is new to the chart stops the routine. You tell the nurse exactly what he said: last night, shaking all over.
Step 08
Breathing trouble
If the patient reports difficulty breathing, stop the routine questions and notify the nurse. Get a qualified interpreter if needed.
Say this:
¿Tiene dificultad para respirar?
Are you having trouble breathing?
Roberto says back:
Un poco. Me falta el aire cuando hablo.
A little. I run out of air when I talk.
Check: He said a little. Do you finish the rest of the set first?
No. Any yes ends your questions. A little is a yes.
Stop here: This step IS the stop. You tell the nurse now. The interpreter is already on the way. There is no solo Spanish past this answer.
Step 09
Separate procedure
A blood draw is a separate procedure, not part of a routine vital-sign round. Follow the order, competency requirements, and supervision rules for that procedure.
Say this:
Necesito sacarle sangre.
I need to draw some blood.
Say this:
Va a sentir un piquete pequeño.
You will feel a small pinch.
Roberto says back:
Me desmayo cuando me sacan sangre.
I faint when they draw my blood.
Check: He faints with blood draws. What changes?
The setup. He lies down or reclines, you tell the nurse before the needle comes out, and you do not draw with him sitting upright on the edge of the bed.
Stop here: The draw is the nurse's procedure, not yours to run solo in Spanish. You say the line, you set the room, and the nurse draws the blood.
Step 10
Report the numbers
Temperature normal. Pressure a little high. Give him both numbers plainly. He asks: is that bad, is something going to happen to me.
Say this:
Su temperatura está normal.
Your temperature is normal.
Say this:
Su presión está un poco alta.
Your blood pressure is a little high.
Roberto says back:
¿Eso es malo? ¿Me va a dar algo?
Is that bad? Is something going to happen to me?
Check: He is scared by the number. What do you say?
The number, exactly as it read. Then: the nurse will talk to you about what it means. You do not reassure him and you do not diagnose him.
Stop here: A frightened patient and a high number is a care-changing moment. You get the nurse, and the interpreter comes with her. You do not talk him down in Spanish.
The last line
Use the phrases to explain routine steps and ask basic questions. Report concerns to the nurse and use a qualified interpreter when the conversation affects care.
Revisamos su peso cada mañana.