Checking vitals on a stranger to see if they are OK

[Joe V]

Have you ever checked vital signs of a stranger (with their permission) while away from work? For example, you are walking down the street and you see someone that looks sick - do you check for vitals? Or, do you keep going?

Share your story and tell us what happened.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

The main reason for taking vitals is to document them. I don't need to check a BP, pulse, or SPO2 to know if it's too high or too low. I, and the vast majoriety of exerienced RNs, can tell with a glance. One other reason to check vitals, when you know they are bad but need hard numbers to convince the physician who isn't at the bedside to do something about the problem.