How often do you check on your patients?

[kjkkm]

Last week i spent a few days in the hospital for an appendectomy. In those few days i only used my nurse call button three times. If i needed anything i would wait to ask until someone came to check on me, take vitals, etc. i know nurses are busy, i could get myself up and i wasn't hurting so i was fine.

I have been accepted into an ADN program beginning in Jan so i paid attention to as much as i could going on around me. My mom and two grandmas are nurses so i know there is a large amount of charting that goes on out of a patient's sight. I asked each nurse their patient load, all shifts said 4 patients.

Some nurses checked on me throughout their shift, some did not. At all.

My question is how often, or do you, pop in on your patients periodically without them using the call button?

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

In my facility, inpatients get checked on by someone--either the CNA or the RN--every hour.

Personally, I used to try to see all of my patients every 2 hours, but that didn't always happen, especially if the patient was like you--mobile, not in pain, and fairly independent. But I made sure I was around to see everyone at least every 3 hours.

[brithoover]

Every hour no exceptions

[Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN]

How often I check depends on how young and healthy you are in comparison to my other patients and how busy I am. I don't always check in an obvious way, either. An uncomplicated appe patient might just get glanced at as I walk down the hall and pass their room. If they're breathing, great! If their door is shut, but I can hear that them laughing and talking on the phone, great! I don't even have to go inside.

A confused, elderly, hypotensive patient with an IV potassium infusion and a broken hip is going to get checked on every 10-15 minutes. I'll probably even sit in their doorway to do my charting.

[kjkkm]

"If they are breathing, Great!"

I literally laughed out loud.

Thank you, all :)