Color Coded Braclets

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I just read a thread about a color coded braclet for DNR patients. I'm a traveler and it seems like the more hospitals I go to, the more different and colorful bracelets I'm seeing. You have one with the name and etc..that one is reasonable to me, but where does it it????

One for fall risk

one for the blood bank

one that says BLOODLESS

one for DNR

one for seizure precatuions

What other ones have you seen? I'm sure there are more.

It can get real annoying to try and start an PIV on a anemic, unsteady, DNR that with a diagnosis of seizures. Are 5 arm bands really needed?

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
I just read a thread about a color coded braclet for DNR patients. I'm a traveler and it seems like the more hospitals I go to, the more different and colorful bracelets I'm seeing. You have one with the name and etc..that one is reasonable to me, but where does it it????

One for fall risk

one for the blood bank

one that says BLOODLESS

one for DNR

one for seizure precatuions

What other ones have you seen? I'm sure there are more.

It can get real annoying to try and start an PIV on a anemic, unsteady, DNR that with a diagnosis of seizures. Are 5 arm bands really needed?

Elopement risk

respiratory/contact precautions?

it DOES get ridiculous cause you can hardly get your fingers under to feel a pulse in addition to not being able to access ANY of the veins in their wrist. These can also make drawing off the hand difficult cause you can't put your turniquet on the wrist.

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Specializes in Intensive Care and Cardiology.

How could you forget about the allergy band?! Haha, you know everyone has one of those as well!

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oh I forgot about hte ALLERGY BAND!!! where I work, it is the big red one that says allergies on it...doesn't even say which ones, it's so dumb, bracelet or not, just the word allergy isn't going ot help any nurse or aide. that is what the chart is for!

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Specializes in Med Surg, ER, OR.

Or how about the "pain-in-the-butt" bracelet.

Could also be used for family.

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Specializes in Med Surg, ER, OR.

Just kidding!!!

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Specializes in ER/EHR Trainer.
Or how about the "pain-in-the-butt" bracelet.

quote]

Like that one!:lol2:

Pink for arms that can't be used for bp or sticks. Orange for precautions(all). Green for falls precautions. Blue latex free. That's it...That's enough.

Maisy;)

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

It's funny, where I work now the ONLY bracelet the patient has is their name bracelet. The only patients that have any other, color coded bracelet are the ones that are on aspiration precautions and have to have thickened liquids; they have an orange band.

Oh, and also patients who receive blood have a blood band.

I'm not sure why this hospital does not use bands unless it's for the reason stated above; because all the different bracelets makes it much more difficult to start an IV or draw blood.

The hospital that I worked before this one had:

Orange bracelets-- fall risk

Yellow bracelets-- isolation

Red bracelets-- allergies

Purple bracelets-- DNR

Also the blood bracelets, and the name bracelets. And pink or blue bracelets for the mommies.

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Specializes in orthopedics, ED observation.

Hmm... I threw my two cents in too soon. Just got done stating similar concerns in other thread.

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I just read a thread about a color coded braclet for DNR patients. I'm a traveler and it seems like the more hospitals I go to, the more different and colorful bracelets I'm seeing. You have one with the name and etc..that one is reasonable to me, but where does it it????

One for fall risk

one for the blood bank

one that says BLOODLESS

one for DNR

one for seizure precatuions

What other ones have you seen? I'm sure there are more.

It can get real annoying to try and start an PIV on a anemic, unsteady, DNR that with a diagnosis of seizures. Are 5 arm bands really needed?

I think you answered your own question very well.

Yes, they are needed because not everyone knows the "code" of colors, not everyone is going to go look at the chart.

Annoying to try to start a PIV on a patient with lots of "data?" I'd think it is easier to do it and get it right if your reminders are right there on the arm.

If your issue is that there are a lot of obstacles, then use the other arm or move the bracelets.... We started using the bracelets because there were too many errors made on patients and they either didn't get better, they got worse or they died. I'd rather find a vessel in an area that is not that one wrist, than risk hurting the patient because the info wasn't there.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

Healthcare, and society in general, is into infomation overload these days. Management is full of gimmicks that they mimick from other facilities, sometimes blindly. I agree, some of these bands are unnecessary. Others are a good idea.

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When I had my baby back in October, I believe I had on 4 bands. This is for a normal, otherwise healthy woman delivering a baby. :uhoh3:

Although this is slightly off the topic, that whole experience has really made me question wanting to become a nurse. Maybe it's just the gimmicks like the one above, or the fact that continuity of care was seriously lacking, but after YEARS of wanting to be a nurse and spending time working in hospitals, I don't know if I want to go into nursing after how I was treated by a few people. Maybe it's I don't want to be a nurse at that hospital.

If you want to discuss it, feel free to PM me as I don't mean to hijack this thread. The armband situation made me think about posting my feelings on the whole situation.

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