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Skill

Vital Signs: Respirations

Prerequisite Skills

Concepts of Communication

Critical Element Criteria

Students must meet criteria of Critical Elements to safely perform the skill based on evidence-based practice. Score can be pass/fail, letter grade, or point assignment. Only acceptable score for Critical Elements is 100%

Critical Elements

  • Understanding of the importance and variations that can occur with the respiratory rate assessment.
  • Create appropriate physical environment.
  • Provide privacy.
  • Explain procedure.
  • Wash hands.

Procedure

Prior to Treatment: (Critical Thinking)

  • Gather equipment: Watch with second hand.
  • Consider age related variations for exam.

Patient Interaction: (Safety)

  • Patient identifiers.
  • Create appropriate physical environment.
  • Provide privacy.
  • Explain procedure.
  • Wash hands.

Procedure: (Patient Centered Care)

  1. Flex patient"s arm and place forearm across the chest or counts unobtrusively.
  2. Count for 30 seconds if respirations are regular, doubling to determine breaths per minute.
  3. Count for 60 seconds if breathing is irregular.
  4. Observe rate, rhythm, and depth.

After Procedure (Patient Centered Care, Safety)

  • Provide appropriate nursing management for abnormal findings.

Documentation (Informatics, Communication)

  • Outcome of assessment.
  • Interventions used for nursing management of care.
  • Patient"s response to interventions.