| Course | NSG 121 Health Assessment |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 2 |
| Paper type | Measurement technique record |
| Length | About 480 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Herzing University |
| Program | BSN |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NSG 121 Unit 2
Nine Measurements and How Each Was Taken: An Equipment Use Record From a Skills-Lab Examination of a Composite Adult
Student Name
Department of Nursing, Herzing University
NSG 121: Health Assessment
Instructor Name
January 22, 2026
Nine Measurements and How Each Was Taken: An Equipment Use Record From a Skills-Lab Examination of a Composite Adult
The Person and the Setting
The measurements were taken on a composite adult: the 29-year-old nail technician whose interview is recorded in Unit 1, seen in the college clinic's exam room at 1030 on a weekday. She had arrived on foot from the student lot a quarter of an hour before, had coffee at 0800, and had not smoked or exercised. Room temperature was about 22 °C. Every value is written in the units and to the precision the course requires, and each is paired with the handling that produced it.
The Record
Values are in the left column; the right column records how each was obtained and anything that could change it.
| Value | Handling that produced it |
|---|---|
| Height 163.5 cm | Wall-mounted stadiometer. Shoes off, heels, buttocks, and shoulders against the board, head level with the eyes looking straight ahead; headpiece lowered to the crown; read at eye level to the nearest 0.5 cm. |
| Weight 61.2 kg | Digital floor scale, zeroed before use. Shoes and jacket off, phone removed from pocket; read to 0.1 kg. |
| BMI 22.9 kg/m² | Calculated from the two values above: 61.2 divided by 1.635 squared. |
| Temperature 36.7 °C | Temporal artery thermometer, scanned across the forehead with the probe flat, from the center to the hairline, while touching behind the ear lobe per the device instructions. Forehead dry, no hat worn. Peripheral thermometers can differ from core temperature, so the site is always recorded (Niven et al., 2015). |
| Blood pressure 118/76 mm Hg (first); 114/74 mm Hg (second) | Automated oscillometric device. Upper arm circumference measured at the midpoint between shoulder tip and elbow: 26.5 cm, so the small adult cuff (for 22 to 26 cm) was too narrow at the upper limit; the standard adult cuff (for 27 to 34 cm) was chosen after re-measuring at 27.0 cm (Muntner et al., 2019). Seated with back supported, feet flat, legs uncrossed, left arm resting on the table at heart level, no talking. First reading after 3 minutes seated; second taken at 5 minutes because the first came before the full rest; both are recorded, not averaged. |
| Pulse 72 per minute, regular | Right radial artery, two fingers, counted for a full 30 seconds and doubled because the rhythm was regular; checked against the automated device, which read 71. |
| Respirations 14 per minute, regular, unlabored | Counted for 30 seconds with my fingers still resting at her wrist, so she was not aware breathing was being counted. |
| Oxygen saturation 98% on room air | Finger probe on the left middle finger; nail polish on that finger removed first because dark polish can lower the reading; hand warm; waveform steady for 30 seconds before reading. |
| Visual acuity 20/20 right eye, 20/25 left eye, without glasses | Snellen chart at 20 feet, lit evenly; each eye covered in turn with a card, not the fingers; smallest line with no more than one error recorded. |
Measurements Repeated, and Why
Blood pressure was taken twice. She had arrived about 15 minutes before and had walked in from outside, so the first reading followed less rest than the five minutes the guidance calls for. The two readings are recorded separately with their timing; averaging them would hide the reason for the repeat.
Upper arm circumference was also measured twice. The first measurement, 26.5 cm, sat at the boundary between two cuff sizes. A second measurement with the tape held level and snug but not tight gave 27.0 cm. A cuff that is too small tends to give falsely high readings, so the standard adult cuff was used (Muntner et al., 2019).
What Could Have Changed These Numbers
Several conditions were recorded because they can move a value even when the equipment is working. The morning coffee two and a half hours earlier is noted beside the blood pressure, since caffeine can raise it for a short time. The dry forehead and absence of a hat are noted with the temperature, since sweat or a covered forehead changes a temporal reading. The removal of nail polish is noted with the oxygen saturation, and matters more than usual for this person, who works with dark gel polishes and may arrive wearing them. Her dry, cracked fingertips could also weaken the oximeter signal; the steady waveform was checked for that reason. None of these conditions invalidated a reading, but a reader comparing these values with a later visit needs to know them.
Equipment Used and Checks Performed
Stadiometer (checked that the headpiece moved freely). Digital scale (zeroed; weekly calibration sticker in date). Temporal artery thermometer (lens cleaned with an alcohol wipe and allowed to dry). Automated blood pressure device (calibration sticker in date) with small and standard adult cuffs. Pulse oximeter (probe cleaned). Snellen chart mounted at the marked 20-foot line. Flexible tape measure. Watch with a second hand. Specifications and techniques were taken from the course text (Jarvis, 2020) and the measurement guidance cited above; the clinic's own equipment policy governs any check not listed here.
References
Jarvis, C. (2020). Physical examination & health assessment (8th ed.). Elsevier.
Muntner, P., Shimbo, D., Carey, R. M., Charleston, J. B., Gaillard, T., Misra, S., Myers, M. G., Ogedegbe, G., Schwartz, J. E., Townsend, R. R., Urbina, E. M., Viera, A. J., White, W. B., & Wright, J. T., Jr. (2019). Measurement of blood pressure in humans: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Hypertension, 73(5), e35-e66. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYP.0000000000000087
Niven, D. J., Gaudet, J. E., Laupland, K. B., Mrklas, K. J., Roberts, D. J., & Stelfox, H. T. (2015). Accuracy of peripheral thermometers for estimating temperature: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Internal Medicine, 163(10), 768-777. https://doi.org/10.7326/M15-1150
Reading the NSG 121 Unit 2 instructions
Unit 2 asks you to record a set of measurements with the technique used for each. Expect to describe the person and setting, give each value with how it was obtained, explain any repeats, note conditions that could affect values and list equipment checks. Many versions ask whether you must have taken the measurements yourself and whether to include clearly wrong values. Check whether your section expects a specific set of measurements. Technique matters because a correct number from a wrong method is unreliable, such as blood pressure with the wrong cuff size. Repeats should be explained. Conditions such as recent activity or caffeine belong in the record. A value that was clearly wrong should be recorded with what was done about it.
How the NSG 121 Unit 2 example is put together
The record opens with the person and setting in a few lines. The table is the core, with value in one column and technique in the other, including position, equipment and anything unusual. The repeats section explains why blood pressure was measured twice and which reading was recorded. The conditions section lists factors that could move values, which shows awareness that numbers depend on circumstances. The equipment section lists each device and the check performed, such as confirming the scale was zeroed. The record is short and precise, written so another nurse could repeat each measurement the same way and compare results. The blood pressure technique follows the AHA statement, which is cited.
Reading the NSG 121 Unit 2 rubric
Herzing's rubric for an equipment use record usually covers completeness of measurements, accuracy of technique, explanation of repeats, attention to conditions affecting values, equipment checks and presentation. Technique is checked against standards for cuff size, arm position and rest time before any value is trusted. Completeness points reward every measurement the prompt lists. Repeat criteria look for a reason and which value was kept. Conditions earn credit when factors such as activity or caffeine are noted. Equipment checks should be specific. A two-column table helps. Units must be correct for each value. The AHA blood pressure statement by Muntner and colleagues anchors the measurement standard in the reference list.
Common NSG 121 Unit 2 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Equipment records in Unit 2 commonly lose points by listing values without technique. Another frequent problem is wrong cuff size or no rest before blood pressure. Students often skip repeats or record both values without explaining which counts. Conditions that affect values are missing. Equipment checks are not done or not recorded. Units are wrong, such as pounds and kilograms mixed. Pulse is counted for fifteen seconds without noting it. Respirations are counted while the person knows. Finally, record enough detail that another nurse could repeat the measurement, because graders reward a record that makes each number trustworthy and comparable over time.
Get a NSG 121 Unit 2 example written to your instructions
Send the Unit 2 instructions and the rubric from your NSG 121 classroom, and tell us which measurements the record has to cover. We write a custom example that pairs each value with its handling, records the conditions before the reading, keeps repeats visible and attributes every specification. First custom sample free, returned in 24 to 48 hours.
More NSG 121 papers and BSN samples
- NSG 121 Unit 1: Assessment technique sequence
- NSG 121 Unit 3: Expected versus unexpected findings chart
- NSG 121 Unit 4: Landmark and positioning guide
- NSG 121 Unit 5: Head to toe rehearsal log
- NSG 121 Unit 6: Documentation practice set
- NSG 121 Unit 7: Developmental variation notes
- NSG 121 Unit 8: Assessment competency file
- NSG 122 Unit 2: Patient problem statement set
- NSG 123 Unit 2: Fluid and electrolyte study
- NSG 124 Unit 2: Dose calculation worksheet
- NSG 126 Unit 2: Licensure and regulation summary
NSG 121 Unit 2 questions, answered
Do I have to have taken these measurements myself?
Skills practice, instructor check-offs and any measurement taken on a live person are yours to do and are never written for you. What a sample can show is the record: how a finished one is laid out, what the technique column contains, and where students lose marks in the pairing. Use it as a model for your own write-up once you have done the work.
Should the record include values that were clearly wrong?
If a reading was taken and then repeated, yes, and say what prompted the repeat. Sections often award credit for exactly that sequence, because noticing an implausible value and checking the technique is part of the skill. Silently reporting only the second number removes the reasoning and leaves the record looking easier than the measurement actually was.
Which specifications should I quote for sizing and placement?
The ones in your assessment text and any manufacturer material your course supplies, cited where you use them. Guidance differs between sources and between instruments, so a remembered figure is hard to defend if your instructor works from a different edition. Where your reading and your skills lab differ, note both and say which you followed.
Where can I find a free NSG 121 Unit 2 sample paper?
Read the complete NSG 121 Unit 2 equipment record here at no charge, nine measurements with technique, repeats and equipment checks. A record for a different set of measurements can be prepared on request.
How do you take an accurate blood pressure?
Have the person sit with back supported and feet flat for several minutes, use a correctly sized cuff on a bare arm at heart level and take more than one reading. This sample records each step and why one reading was repeated.