OASIS-Central

Q: I find that some nurses are confused regarding whether to choose “Yes” or “N/A” for M2250, Vital Sign Parameters. My understanding is that we choose YES if a MD specifies parameters or approves “agency set parameters.”  The choice of  “N/A”  is selected if standardized guidelines are used. Am I correct?

A: There are no standardized vital sign parameters that apply to all patients. Each patient’s situation is unique and requires that clinicians assess and discuss appropriate parameters with the physician. While agencies may research best practice guidelines from expert organizations and develop protocols, these would need to be tailored to each patient’s unique situation for a response of “Yes” to be appropriate for M2250 (a). A response of “NA” would be appropriate if the agency has adopted standardized guidelines that are made accessible to all care team members.