How to Make a Vital Sign Chart

Doctors, EMTs, nurses, midwives and other trained health care professionals must periodically take vital signs on clients and patients to track their well being. Watching changes in vital signs is critical to understanding a person's condition, reactions to various stimuli and in general for determining proper care. Primary vital signs are measurements of blood pressure, heart or pulse rate, temperature and respiratory rate. Weight is often added, while height is mainly for young, growing children. Chart this information by creating an Excel file.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Excel (or similar database program)
• Equipment and instruments to measure vitals

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Instructions

• 1

  Open Excel. Select "File." "New." Save the file with a name such as "vitals_template.xls." Each time you print and use the file for a different patient, save the file with a new name or code.

• 2

  Click the empty space between column A and line 1. This highlights your entire document. Choose "Format," "Column," "Width." In the box that opens for width, type in 15 or 20. If the column change is too wide, change the number.

• 3

  List your headers across the top line, from left to right. Write a different header in each column. Include Date, Time, Weight, Temp, Resp and Pulse. Use two columns for blood pressure, one for BP Systolic, the other for BP Diastolic. You can add columns for height, for fluid intake and output, and whatever else you deem necessary.

• 4

  Click "View," "Header and Footer." Click on the bar that says "Custom Header." Write the name of your chart, and add any other information needed. Repeat for Custom Footer. You can see how it will all look by clicking "Print preview." If grid lines are missing, and you want them to print on the chart, select "Page setup." Choose "landscape orientation." Under "Sheet," click in the grid lines square.

• 5

  Save the template file and back it up. Print out a version to approve how it appears. Make changes as needed.