waking patients up to do vitals

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Jun 9, 2005

Sometimes, and please note I am saying SOMETIMES frequent waking is from division of tasks and the care providors are not being coordinated. I was the odd nurse on my telemetry floor (before I changed specialities) that would take the midnight vitals for the CNA's. I would do this early (10:30pm to 11pm), give the patients a sleeper (if they wanted one) then let them sleep until lab showed up, which was usually around 4:30-5:00am, then I would follow lab and do their "4am" vitals and collect I+O's unless they had a foley and I could sneak in without waking. Sleeping patients=Happy recovering patients. Patients really appreciate that extra couple of hours sleep they usually manage that way.

I'm no super nurse, sometimes I didn't have time to do the above and I certainly didn't do this for an unstable patient or one on a cardiac drip that required more precise intervals of BP measurement.

begalli · Jun 9, 2005

they cut open my head so i need my pain meds mabey that is why they do it so much

There's one really good reason I would wake you up right there.

You are a neuro patient right? Neurologically, gotta check to make sure megkirpas is still the same megkirpas you were last time I talked to ya.

I will always say I'm sorry though and wish you a speedy back-to-sleep and do everything within my power to provide for a sleep friendly environment. :)

All my best to you....

lpnstudentin2010, LPN · Jun 9, 2005

There's one really good reason I would wake you up right there.
You are a neuro patient right? Neurologically, gotta check to make sure megkirpas is still the same megkirpas you were last time I talked to ya.
I will always say I'm sorry though and wish you a speedy back-to-sleep and do everything within my power to provide for a sleep friendly environment. :)
All my best to you....

to be honest i am not sure if i am a neuro patient or not. i have a genetic disorder neurofibromatosis which causes tumors on the nurve. mine is on the right orbit. they pereodically have to remove it. by the way it is benign. i always make sure to say that cuz when i tell people that they freak. thier first thought, you guessed it, cancer, i kno most of you would probably not asume that though cuz you probably see benign tumors atleast semmy often so you know there are non cancerous tumors.

weesyanne · Jun 9, 2005

megkirpas,

Nurses who work nights don't wake people up for the pleasure it gives them. Honestly, if I can let someone sleep, I let them sleep as long as possible. But if their condition is unstable, if they have had surgery that day, or if they have some sort of neurological problem which necessitates my waking them up to assess mental status, then I have to do it. I try to allow for periods of rest/sleep that are as long as possible in between, and I try to coordinate my care with that of the tech as well. I normally tell them these things up front so that there are not any surprises.

palesarah · 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.

you should ask your nurses these questions! It's important for you to know why you have to be woken up at night, and you'll get a much better answer from the nurses who are actually taking care of you than from nurses who don't know you and can only guess about why things can't be done differently for you.

palesarah · Jun 9, 2005

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.

Q4 hours on stable babies?

Why can't you do the temps with feedings? We only do vitals/temps Qshift on babies, but I try to never wake a sleeping baby unless it's for a feeding. Waking a baby for a temp is usually just unnecessary, most babies wake up- or need to be woken up if they aren't feeding well yet- every 2-4 hours to eat anyway. Just makes sense to do it then.

NurseFirst · 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.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to know about your care, and to ask questions. PLEASE ask questions--especially if someone is giving you a pill you've never had before and you are suddenly getting it.

Patients need, more than ever, to be responsible for their own care; not that the nurses aren't responsible--but, just for your own protection. Know about your disease (I'm sorry about your neurofibramatosis; I hope it never gets very severe. I've seen some programs on Discovery Health having to do with people who have neurofibramatosis--severely.)--know what is expected and what isn't. Know what medications you are taking, what they look like, and why.

Just my "two bits",

NurseFirst

URO-RN · Jun 9, 2005

if you are post-op, you will be q4h vs with me. i am also checking your urine output.

so, it is for your safety.

I don't like waking people up at night. But, you are in a hospital, not a hotel. one cannot expect to get a good night sleep in a hospital.

LilRedRN1973 · Jun 9, 2005

We have to document q2h in our ICU. I do a head to toe at 2000, 2400, and 0400....but I also have to do I/O, neuro checks, etc. at 2000, 2200, 2400, 0200, 0400, and 0600. It really sucks having to wake up a patient to do a neuro check after they've just quieted down. What's worse is when we have patient who is on q1hr neuro checks. I'm sure I would HATE someone shining a flashlight in my eyeballs every single hour through the night.....sigh. Also, I agree with whoever said the q1hr Accuchecks. Being poked every single hour isn't too pleasant either.

Melanie = )