Assessment: Respiration

Equipments:

• Watch with a second hand

Nursing Procedures:

1. Assess patient's respiration before replacing gown from auscultating heart sounds
2. Place your hand over patient's wrist and observe one complete respiratory cycle
3. Start count with first inspiration while looking at second hand weep of watch. For infants and children, count it a full minute. For adult, count it for 30 second then multiply by 2 if regular rate or count it for a full minute if irregular
4. Assess the depth of respiration by degree of chess wall movement and rhythm of cycle
5. Replace client's gown
6. Record rate and character of respirations