Taking height & weight - Equipments, Guidelines, Procedure

Taking height & weight.

It is a measurement from head to toe that indicates the state of growth and health. It is measured in feet, inches or centimeters.

Purpose

1.  To measure accurate height of the patients

Equipments

a.     Measuring scale attached to the wall

b.     A straight object

c.      Paper and pencil

d.     Newspaper

Guidelines

Have the patient' s shoes/ slippers removed while taking height to avoid any variations in the reading

If thick object is placed on the top of the head, at right angle to the scale indicating the reading, note the bottom reading of the object.

Procedure

1.     Gather the equipments

2.     Explain the purpose and the procedure to the patient

3.     Wash your hands

4.     Tell the patient to remove the slippers or shoes

5.     Assist the patient to stand on a lean newspaper kept on the floor.

6.     Tell the patient to stand with the buttocks and the back of head against the scale on wall, feet flat, heals together and eyes looking straight ahead.

7.     Place the straight object on the top of the head at right angles to the scale on wall, touching the scale calibration. Note the reading where the said object touches the scale

8.     Tell the patient to put on slippers.

9.     Place the patient in a comfortable position.

10.            Replace the equipments.

11.                        Wash your hands.

Recording

            Record the date and time of the procedure and the height in the nurse' s notes or graphic sheet

Taking weight

It is the quantitative expression of a body that indicate the state of growth and health It is measured in kilograms, pounds or grams

Purposes

1.     To obtain accurate weight of the patient

2.     To aid in accurate diagnosis of the patient

3.     To evaluate patient' s response to treatment

Equipments

1.     Weighing scale

2.     Newspaper

Guidelines

1.     Weigh on weighing scale when the patient is ambulatory

2.     Sdaily weigh the patient at the same time with the same scale and with same clothing

3.     Weigh before meals and after voiding

4.     Weigh on admission to provide a base line information to subsequent daily weight recording and assess any significant increase or decrease in the patient' s weight.

5.     The weighing scale must be accurate, hence the balance scale, be prepared before weighing the patient

Procedure

1.     Gather the equipments

2.     Explain the purpose and procedure to the patient

3.     Wash your hands

4.     Assist the patient to void or empty the bladder.

5.     Check the commonly used flat weighing machine' s reading is set at zero level.

6.     Tell the patient to remove the slippers or shoes and extra clothes.

7.     Assist the patient to step on the center of the scale platform.

8.     Assist the patient to step off the scale platform.

9.     Assist the patient to return to the bed

10.                        Wash your hands

Recording of weight

1) Record the weight in the graphic sheet or nurse' s notes.