Vital Signs
Plotting
Typically, ambulatory or noncritical patients’ vital
signs are monitored every 4 hours.
Vital Signs monitoring measures the
following:
• Temperature (black color)
• Pulse or HR (Red color)
• Respiratory Rate (Black
color) Additional
Measurements: Pain Score and
Weight
NOTE: DATES/Day of the month SHOULD be written in black ink only.
(including the number of days in the hospital, case #, year, month, name of patient/doctor & bed number)
The encircled numbers are typically the normal range or average value
of TPR measurements. This is where we anchor the lines in the graph.
Encircling these numbers is done when you are the first one who will
fill out the Vital Signs Record Sheet --- so, once ra mag encircle sa 37,
80 & 20 nga number for every TPR sheet.
On patient’s admission, the first vital signs are plotted in the ER, and
“on admission” is written on the first column with broken lines ---
meaning to say, these are the patient’s VS taken upon admission.
Consider the given data below:
Patient KC was admitted on April 25, 2022, at 10 AM,
Notice that the day of the month is filled out 25, the date is
aligned with the on admission column. The time which is 10
AM is written on top using black ink. (2-6-10 Black means AM;
2-6-10 red means PM)
Weight is empty because it wasn’t provided on the chart
There was also no data provided regarding Pain Score. If
pain score has to be included, encircle 5 as the average.
Notice that we started plotting the time at 10 AM (black) because that is the admission time and it also lines up with 25 (admission date)
Always remember: (2-6-10 Black means AM; 2-6-10 red means PM)
Routine VS monitoring is every 4 hours and our base hosp (GCGMH) is following the 2-6-10 timing.
So, per shift for example:
AM Shift (8AM - 4PM) you take vital signs at 10 AM and 2 PM
PM Shift (4PM -12MN) you take vital signs at 6 PM and 10 PM
NOC Shift (12MN – 8AM) you take vital signs at 2 AM and 6 AM
The DATE/DAY OF THE MONTH will ALWAYS be aligned with 6 AM (Black color), except for the admission date because it is possible that the patient
will be admitted beyond 6 AM on that particular day.
The V/S Record sheet is first filled out upon admission (in the ER), and the Wards, stations, or private rooms will
just continue with the plotting/recording of the vital signs.
Example on plotting the patient’s TPR:
On admission, Patient KC’s Vital Signs are
as follows:
NOTE: Every broken line is an increment of .2
T – 39.3 C (Since the Temp is 39.3,
you will connect the line starting with
37
until you reach the 39.3 line/space.
(Temp is plotted using BLACK ink color)
HR – 160 beats/minute (Since the HR is
160, you will connect the line starting
with 80 until you reach the 160 line)
HR is plotted using a red ink.
JUST REMEMBER that HR is RED because the♥is RED
RR – 48 breaths/minute. Since the RR is 48, you will
connect the line starting with 20 until you reach the 48
line. RR is plotted in black ink.
At the bottom portion of the V/S Record Sheet is where Urine and Stool are recorded, at the end of
every shift, you record how many times the patient urinated or had a bowel movement --- (e.g.: If the
patient urinated twice during the AM shift, you will write 2 for urine; then if he defecated once, you write 1 for
stool) Remember that this should be recorded vertically under the 6 AM column only then align it horizontally
with your shift (AM/PM/NOC). Ink color depends on your shift when plotting Urine & Stool.
In the sample plotting (refer to above photo) the Urine (2) and Stool (1) are plotted under the 10 AM of
April 25 column because the patient was admitted beyond 6 AM already --- (so walay mo appear nga 6 AM sa
chart for April 25 kay 10 AM paman na admit ang patient)
On the following dates, Urine & Stool SHOULD be plotted under 6 AM (black)
(EXAMPLE) For April 26 onwards, Urine & Stool should be aligned under 6 AM (black) already
IMPORTANT:
Urine & Stool for AM/PM/NOC
shifts should be plotted under one
1
3 4
0
column only, and that is under the
1 1 2
0
1 0
1 6 AM (BLACK) column.
1 0 1
3
This is not the proper
1
way of plotting the
1 1
1
0
1 0
URINE & STOOL
Fill-out this portion
using black ink only
4-25-2022
4-25-2022
INK COLOR to be used in writing the
DATE, TIME, BP READING & your
4-25-2022 INITIALS depends on your SHIFT
AM - black
4-26-2022
PM - blue
NOC - red
4-26-2022
FAQs:
1. Is it possible for the doctor to order V/S monitoring
every 30 mins, every hour or every 2-3 hours?
YES, it is possible.
2. Where will the V/S results be recorded if the order
is every 30 minutes, q hourly or q 2-3 hours?
A separate TPR monitoring sheet will be used in this
case. For BP results, the same BP sheet will be used.
We recommend that you download & print the VS Record Sheet attached
in your classwork so you can practice plotting Vital Signs. Good luck!
