From: Patient severity matters for night-shift workload for internal medicine residents in Taiwan
Call reason category | Definition | Example |
---|---|---|
Abnormal vital signs | Abnormal blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, oxygen saturation, or consciousness | Hypotension |
Arrhythmia | ||
Fever or hypothermia | ||
Original symptom/problem | An existing symptom or problem which has been handed over from the previous shift | Cancer pain breakthrough |
Ileus with refractory vomiting | ||
New-onset symptom/problem | A new symptom or problem that was not noticed in the previous shift | Chest pain |
Shortness of breath | ||
Oliguria | ||
Need for physician’s evaluation, prescription, or procedure | Events that nurses think the physician should evaluate, prescribing orders, or performing medical procedures | Hyperglycemia |
Difficulty in sleeping | ||
Foley obstruction | ||
Need for explanation or communication | Situations in which the nurses think the physician should answer questions or say something to the patients or relatives | Refusing protective constraints |
Refusing treatment advice | ||
Angry patient or relative | ||
Others | The physician should be informed but no need for direct evaluation | Falling without obvious injury |