Chapter 20
Measuring
Vital Signs
, Vital Signs: Monitoring,
Interpreting, & Recording
Vital signs (VS)
• most frequent assessments RN will perform
• temperature (T)
• pulse (P)
• respirations (R)
• blood pressure (BP)
• Pain (scale 0-10)
• Oxygen saturation (O2)
• variations reflect a person’s state of health & function of body
systems
, Facility Standards for Monitoring
Performed on a regular Frequency for assessing VS
basis depends on patient’s condition
& the events taking place
Frequency determined
by: Varies by setting:
– Provider’s prescription – Hospital: every 4 to 8 hr
and/or nursing judgment – Home health setting: each visit
– Patient’s condition
– Clinic: each visit
– Facility standards
– Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs):
weekly to monthly
, Temperature
Degree of heat maintained by the body
– Difference between heat produced by the
body and heat lost to the environment
°F (°C)
To convert Fahrenheit to centigrade,
subtract 32 from the temperature, and
multiply by 5/9
Measuring
Vital Signs
, Vital Signs: Monitoring,
Interpreting, & Recording
Vital signs (VS)
• most frequent assessments RN will perform
• temperature (T)
• pulse (P)
• respirations (R)
• blood pressure (BP)
• Pain (scale 0-10)
• Oxygen saturation (O2)
• variations reflect a person’s state of health & function of body
systems
, Facility Standards for Monitoring
Performed on a regular Frequency for assessing VS
basis depends on patient’s condition
& the events taking place
Frequency determined
by: Varies by setting:
– Provider’s prescription – Hospital: every 4 to 8 hr
and/or nursing judgment – Home health setting: each visit
– Patient’s condition
– Clinic: each visit
– Facility standards
– Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs):
weekly to monthly
, Temperature
Degree of heat maintained by the body
– Difference between heat produced by the
body and heat lost to the environment
°F (°C)
To convert Fahrenheit to centigrade,
subtract 32 from the temperature, and
multiply by 5/9
