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Skill

Weight: Standing & Bed scale

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

Procedure

Prior to Treatment: (Critical Thinking)

  • Assess patient's need for height and weight measurement.
  • Confirm order.
  • Gather appropriate supplies: standing or bed scale.
  • Consider age related variations for procedure.

Patient Interaction: (Safety)

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

Procedure: (Patient Centered Care)

Standing Scale

  1. Remove excess clothes and shoes for most accuracy.
  2. Assist patient to stand on scale or to sit on chair scale.
  3. Instruct to be still as measurement is taken.
  4. Assist patient to move away from scale.

Bed Scale

  1. Sanitize and zero scale per policy.
  2. Assist patient onto bedscale as appropriate.
  3. Read weight when scale not moving.
  4. Assist patient off scale as appropriate.

After Procedure (Patient Centered Care, Safety)

  • Provide appropriate nursing management for abnormal findings.

Documentation (Informatics, Communication)

  • Outcome of procedure.
  • Interventions used for nursing management of care.
  • Patient"s response to interventions.
  • Interventions for collaborative issues identified.