A patient returns from surgery at 1400 and needs vitals every 15 minutes for four checks. What are the times you would record vitals?

A patient returns from surgery at 1400 and needs vitals every 15 minutes for four checks. What are the times you would record vitals?

• A. 1400, 1415, 1430, 1445
• B. 1400, 1420, 1440, 1500
• C. 1300, 1330, 1345, 1400
• D. 1000, 1015, 1030, 1045

Answer: (A)

Monitoring after surgery is about recording vital signs at fixed, short intervals to catch early problems. If vitals are required every 15 minutes for four checks, you start at the moment the patient returns (1400) and then record every 15 minutes thereafter. That gives 1400, 1415, 1430, and 1445. The cadence must be exact, so you’re looking for four time points spaced 15 minutes apart beginning at the return time. The other options don’t fit because they use different intervals or start times, which wouldn’t adhere to the requested 15-minute rhythm from 1400. Accurate, time-stamped vitals help detect trends and coordinate care quickly.

Monitoring after surgery is about recording vital signs at fixed, short intervals to catch early problems. If vitals are required every 15 minutes for four checks, you start at the moment the patient returns (1400) and then record every 15 minutes thereafter. That gives 1400, 1415, 1430, and 1445. The cadence must be exact, so you’re looking for four time points spaced 15 minutes apart beginning at the return time. The other options don’t fit because they use different intervals or start times, which wouldn’t adhere to the requested 15-minute rhythm from 1400. Accurate, time-stamped vitals help detect trends and coordinate care quickly.