Yes I too read that as a 1:1 outside the ICU. More for monitoring for some kind of safety issue. (High fall risk, suicidal, in restraints, etc.) The 1:1 staff that we would get when I worked psych and we didn't have the staff to cover it ourselves, were used hospital wide so on any unit.......however they were usually for some sort of safety issue. When the pt was asleep we generally let them study/read/etc. but never were allowed to leave the pt alone, even when asleep. They would have to get someone to cover for breaks. We even would have different levels of 1:1-- like we had a continuous eye contact. We seldom needed that high of a level but this meant the 1:1 was to have eyes on the pt at all times, even in the bathroom. We actually had a pt who was in and on 1:1 as she had an issue with swallowing anything she could. She had swallowed batteries ("AA"s!!) twice and the second time they had to be removed surgically, she picked the abd wound so bad it became necrotic and it had to be debrided and a wound vac put on. She was being monitored to be she she didn't pick at the wound vac site and that she didn't swallow anything else. Well we had a 1:1 who didn't think the pts request to have the door closed while she was in the bathroom was a big deal so she allowed it.....well the pt took the batteries out of the headphones she had and swallowed them while in the bathroom!!!! The doc was soooo mad! So though 1:1 can be boring and seem insignificant sometimes, it is really important and should be taken seriously and these pts should be monitored closely at all times.
