Certification in emergency nursing associated with vital signs attitudes and practices

The practice of regimented vital signs (VS) (blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and many times temperature) assessment for all patients is a ritual deeply entrenched in the culture of nursing often codified in emergency department (ED) and hospital policies despite limited evidence to support the practice (Storm-Versloot et  al., 2013; Zeitz and McCutcheon, 2005, 2006). VS assessment and documentation policies in the US vary by ED. Most policies specify the maximum amount of time allowable between VS assessments, frequently mandating documentation of VS every two hours on every patient, or mandate the frequency based on triage acuity level.

Source: International Emergency Nursing - December 16, 2015 Category: Nursing Authors: Christian N. Burchill, Rosemary Polomano Source Type: research