When are vital signs done?

[ivorybunny]

i was wondering if you can help me.... on my floor we do q shift vitals at 4am and 4pm. q4 vitals are done at 8, 12 and 4, this would apply to new admits, transfers, observation patients, and anyone receiving an invasive procedure. my question is... does it matter when v/s are done? to me- it would make sense to have our routine vitals done at 8 & 8... this way there would be current vitals done for the nurses when they pass their medications. also, it would help with the interruption of patient sleep... i mean right now, they love being woken up at 4am for vital signs and daily weights. when we have asked to go to the 8 & 8 times, we have been told that the doctors complain that there aren't current vitals signs available to them. i am curious about other routines and how the shared goverance on our floor could present why it's okay to do vitals at 8 & 8. any suggestions would be wonderful. thanks.

[jerrylundergard]

For me, vitals, especially bp, are done before giving any kind of cardiac meds. I just wont give bp or cardiac meds without knowing my vitals. That could mean vitals at 9am 12-2 pm and again at 5or6pm.

[Ivanna_Nurse, BSN, RN]

I can see both sides of the coin... I will take my own VS if I am giving meds. If you have to wake them to weigh them, then that is a good time to take VS, because the docs are there in the am. They generally like recent VS to make treatment decisions.

Where I came from, they were q4 or Q8, and at the beginning of the shift for Q shift. The nice thing about doing it in the beginning, would be that a whole shift wouldnt go by before discovering an abnormal pressure, high heart rate, or crazy temp spike. ~Ivanna

[TigerGalLE, BSN, RN]

Our CNAs do vitals at 7a, 3p, and 11p if they are on Qshift vitals. If they are on Q4 vitals they are done at 7a, 11a, 3p, 7p, 11p and if necessary they'll do them in the middle of the night. If the patient has been stable they will hold off until around 5a when AM labs are drawn and weights are done.

I work at another hospital who does vitals a 6a, 10a, 2p, 6p, 10p... then if necessary they'll be taken more often throughout the night. I prefer the above hospital because they correlate better with my med pass.

[Crux1024]

Ours are Q4H, so 07, 11, 15, 19, 23, 03. Aides hate it, but Its helpful. Sometimes if someones not tele monitored, I tell them to hold off til the morning for VS since theyre technically not required if theyre not tele. Patients are sometimes bothered but they understand theyre in the hospital.

Ive only had one patient who was adamant (and almost mean) about not being bothered and he was told if something changed on the tele monitor we were all barging in, otherwise he could rest. Documented appropriately of course.

I really do appreciate current vitals though.

[healthcare2015]

Ours is 100 500 900 1300 1700 2100

Which the nurses hate but comes from the dept head

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

Ours are the 8, 12, 4 clock too.

We do not have a Qshift, but a Q8. So a Q8 vital would have them taken at 8, 4, and midnight.

I would wager your docs want current vitals for their shift changes.