1:1's on mental health units

[Roz]

How are your nursing 1:1's handled? What is the criteria for 1:1 and how frequently do you apply this? Do you have any creative ways to deal with this costly intervention?

[PegM]

Originally posted by Roz:

How are your nursing 1:1's handled? What is the criteria for 1:1 and how frequently do you apply this? Do you have any creative ways to deal with this costly intervention?

In our facility there are 3 types of special observation. The first is Close Observation-an assigned staff is to be aware of pts location and activity q15 minutes. The second is Suicide precautions LOV-at pt must be observed within a staff members line of vision at all times. The third is suicide precautions,constant- the pt must be within arms length of an assigned staff at all times. We are currently working on a designation and policy and procedure for pts who require 1:1 who are not suicidal.

As for $$ saving techniques- During the night shift we attempt to put our LOV pts of the same sex in the same room or in rooms adajacent to one another so less staff are required to monitor them within the scope of our procedures.

[Ken Denman]

[we use 1:1's only if the patient is acutely suicidal. we use a locked low stim area ALSO.