waking patients up to do vitals

z's playa · Jun 9, 2005

"Cuz they aren't awake.

Z :)

Fiona59 · Jun 9, 2005

I don't wake them up, usually its the pressure from the BP cuff that does...:chuckle

lpnstudentin2010, LPN · Jun 9, 2005

You see at childrens hospital in boston they wake the patient up and i never say this cuz it would be rude but i always think that why dont they just let me sleep they wake you up about 2 - 3 times a night sometimes more. atleast this was the proceddure about 5 or 6 years ago i donot kno about now for sure but i bet they still do

z's playa · Jun 9, 2005

I never heard of waking pt up that many times except if they're vitals were unstable at some point and they needed to do them every half an hour.....

Each nurse at the beginning of her shift does a set of vitals on her pts. If the pt is getting pain meds every 4 hours...vitals are vital to make sure BPs ok etc.

Sometimes she gets sidetracked and can't get to it until later. Depends when you fell asleep too.

Thats what we're told here. :) I'm sure theres other reasons.

Z

gwenith, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2005

I work CCU and if we woke a stable patient for a BP we would have the Docs down on us sooooo fast. We do obs before they go to sleep and when they wake - whenever that is. I always thought that was the civilised thing to do.

Implications For Practice
While much research has been undertaken on specific aspects of patient observations, such as the accuracy of individual measurements, there is little research addressing the broader issues of the most effective and efficient way to monitor patient progress. However, there is a need for clinical areas to determine the role of patient observations within their setting, with particular reference to the four traditional vital sign parameters, to ensure:

observations are appropriate as determined by the patient's clinical status;
available technologies are utilised appropriately, to complement or even replace less effective methods of patient observation; and
inappropriate observations, based on habit rather than need, should be minimised.

http://www.joannabriggs.edu.au/best_practice/bp8.php#anchor30295431

There you go - excerpt from JBI Evidence Based Practice Library.

mstigerlily · Jun 9, 2005

Pretty hard to get people to open their mouth for the thermometer without waking them up. The blood pressure cuff wakes them up too.

I have to take babies' vitals q4h in our postpartum unit and I just hate going in there at midnight or 4am after they've JUST gotten the little darling to sleep and unwrap the baby to do an axillary temp, which always wakes them up. I can usually get respirations and pulse without waking or unwrapping but temp is hard. Usually I let them know I need to take vitals at a certain time and if it's close to that time and they are up to call me and I'll do them then.

Melissa

I am not a nurse, but I have been a patient many times, I have always wondered, when you need to take a patients vitals at night, why do you have to wake them up?

dan-rn · Jun 9, 2005

You think waking someone up every 4 hours to get vitals is bad, try having someone on an insulin drip and you have to check their blood sugar every hour during the night. That stinks for the patient.

lpnstudentin2010, LPN · Jun 9, 2005

you see i am on pain meds. I have had surgury when this happens. they cut open my head so i need my pain meds mabey that is why they do it so much

pebbles, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2005

you see i am on pain meds. I have had surgury when this happens. they cut open my head so i need my pain meds mabey that is why they do it so much

Yup. Anyone who's had surgery needs vitals taken more often, to make sure they are okay. Ditto for people on certain pain medications. If you have had surgery on your head, the nurses NEED to wake you up to make sure you're alright. Otherwise, what's the point in being in the hospital? :)

Sometimes you can't tell by looking at someone whether they might have a low BP, or the difference between being asleep, and being in a coma or unconsious. The nurses don't like waking you up, but they have to do it to make sure you are safe. :wink2:

lpnstudentin2010, LPN · Jun 9, 2005

ok. i understand now i just have always wondered but my mom always tells me not to bother the nurses with dumb questions like that.

pebbles, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2005

ok. i understand now i just have always wondered but my mom always tells me not to bother the nurses with dumb questions like that.

Depends how busy the nurses are - most of us don't mind when our patients ask questions about their own treatment...