pulse, impulse

Pulse or pulse means the heart beat, as it can be felt at the neck, wrist, or other points of the body--
His pulse and blood pressure are normal.
Did you check his pulse?
Pulse may also mean a  beat or throb, in a general sense--
The pain in his head had a pulse, like the beat of his heart.
Each brief pulse of light made the entire scene as bright as day.
Pulse may me a verb ( action word ), meaning to throb or beat--

He seemed to pulse with emotion whenever he remembered the incident.
Pulse may also mean the will or animating spirit, in a figurative sense--
He has his finger on the pulse of the buying public.

Impulse or impulse means a sudden urge or inclination--
Beware of impulse buying if you want to stay on a budget.
She had a sudden impulse to slap someone, and left the party in a hurry.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The nursing student had to resist the impulse to check everyone's pulse."