Policy Manual sample

MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. 124 TEMPERATURE-ORAL PURPOSE: Oral temperatures are taken on clients as appropriate. RESPONSIBLE PERSONNEL: RN, LPN, HHA EQUIPMENT: Oral thermometer, alcohol preps SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: Refrain from taking oral temperature on any client who: • is unconscious • is irrational, combative or disoriented less than 5 years old • has had a recent surgery of the mouth • has taken hot or cold liquids or has smoked in the last 5 minutes. PROCEDURE: 1. Wash your hands. 2. Explain procedure. 3. Remove oral thermometer from its container and place a probe cover over the distal end. 4. If glass oral thermometer displays temperature above 97 degrees F., shake the mercury down below that level. 5. Place oral thermometer under client's tongue for 3 to 5 minutes if you are using a glass thermometer. Digital thermometer will alert when completed. 6. Remove oral thermometer from under client's tongue and read its mercury level. 7. If using a digital thermometer, remove and dispose of probe cover and read. 8. Shake the mercury level down in the glass thermometer. 9. Clean thermometer with an alcohol swab. 10. Wash your hands. DOCUMENTATION: Document oral temperature on visit note. If further action is indicated, document follow- up/notification of Clinical Manager and/or physician. ____________________________________________________