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The importance of respiratory rate monitoring

25 April 2019
Clinical
02 April 2019
Volume 28 · Issue 8

Abstract

Respiratory rate measurement is regarded as a core nursing skill. Yet there are numerous recorded discrepancies in the monitoring and assessment of patients' respiratory rate. This article discusses the importance of respiration rate in terms of patient clinical outcomes, monitoring and documentation.

Patients and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2018) expect nurses to use their knowledge and skills, to identify when their patients are unwell and to act on the information received. Respiratory rate is part of the holistic assessment of a patient, and careful monitoring should be used if the respiratory rate changes put it outside the patient's normal range (Kelly, 2018). Respiratory rate is a non–invasive and useful assessment tool and abnormalities in respiratory rate have been shown to indicate patient deterioration and should be managed accordingly (Cooper et al, 2014). However, evidence suggests that nurses may fail to take an accurate respiratory rate (McGain, 2008; Semler et al, 2013; Flenady et al, 2017).

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Breathing
Vital signs
Deterioration
Assessment
Early warning score