what is your policy on assessments

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Feb 27, 2004

My hospital's policy is Q 6 hours......Q 4 for post-ops and postpartum moms for the first 24 hours, as well as ICU patients during their entire stay.

chaosRN, ASN, RN · Feb 27, 2004

Well, in my hospital it all depends what unit you're on. On regular med-surg floors the assessment is q8h, step down units are q4h, and ICU is q2h (untill transfer orders are written, then q4h). On some type of surgeries (CABG, AAA's) the assessment is q1h for the first 12 hours, then q2h. :)

LSRN · Feb 27, 2004

We do a full "head to toe" assessment BID and a focused assessment prn (minimally Q8 hrs).

IamRN · Feb 28, 2004

Med Surg floors every eight. All ICU's I have worked require an assessment every four hours.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Feb 28, 2004

An RN assessment every 24 hours, and an assessment by someone (RN or LPN) every shift, no matter if the shift is 12 or 4h long.

zacarias, ASN, RN · Feb 28, 2004

Hey,

On my floor (acute gen-med floor) we do q8h assessments but have a lot of 12 hr shifts. Some night nurse said that day shift was required to do two full assessments and then night only does one. I don't think that's fair but anyway, what I do is try to get my second assessment charted but if not, I assume night shift will do it.

IamRN · Feb 28, 2004

hey,
on my floor (acute gen-med floor) we do q8h assessments but have a lot of 12 hr shifts. some night nurse said that day shift was required to do two full assessments and then night only does one. i don't think that's fair but anyway, what i do is try to get my second assessment charted but if not, i assume night shift will do it.

yikes! you know what is said about assume...it makes an a** out or u and me :imbar honestly though, it really doesn't matter what either shift thinks about who is resonsible for it. there could be apolicy about it and if either shift lacks in following it, and g*d forbid something should happen to your patients because of a missed assessment, your career could be in jeopardy (not to mention the poor patients health/life :uhoh21: !). if there is not a policy, i would urge the manager to address the issue.

personally, when i worked 12 hours on the floor (where the majority of other shifts were eight hours), i did an assessment when i came on at 1900 and then again at 2300.

it may not come down to what is fair, but what is right for the patient.

LolaRN · Feb 29, 2004

we do assessments every 4 hours on our med surg floor

Burnt Out, ASN, RN · Mar 2, 2004

Our hospital policy is that a patient must be assessed every 12 hours, unless their is a change in patient condition..ie. pneumonia patient develops GI bleed.

I do not know about any of the other departments...