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Monitoring & Assessment

Assessment is the skill every other nursing decision depends on: measure accurately, recognise what is normal, and notice the change. This cluster collects our vital-signs, heart-sound and ECG videos — blood pressure and pulse technique, auscultation, normal heart sounds, a pediatric head-to-toe assessment, and two ECG reading walkthroughs — each with a Key Steps checklist on its video page.

Watch: monitoring & assessment videos

<![CDATA[Pediatric Head-to-Toe Assessment]]> <![CDATA[Pediatric Head-to-Toe Assessment]]> 85,143 views <![CDATA[How to read ECG Part 1]]> <![CDATA[How to read ECG Part 1]]> 76,121 views <![CDATA[Normal Heart Sounds]]> <![CDATA[Normal Heart Sounds]]> 67,423 views <![CDATA[Blood Pressure and Pulse]]> <![CDATA[Blood Pressure and Pulse]]> 60,242 views <![CDATA[Auscultation of the heart]]> <![CDATA[Auscultation of the heart]]> 48,395 views <![CDATA[11 Steps to Read an ECG ( EKG )]]> <![CDATA[11 Steps to Read an ECG ( EKG )]]>

About this skill area

Good assessment is systematic: the same sequence every time, compared against the patient's own baseline and previous readings, not just a textbook range. The videos below show technique and interpretation in sequence; early-warning scoring and escalation follow your local system and protocol.

Nursing calculators for this skill

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Frequently asked questions

What are the main vital signs?

The core vital signs are temperature, pulse (heart rate), respiratory rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation, with pain often assessed alongside them and level of consciousness added in neurological observation. Together they give a quick, repeatable picture of a patient's basic physiology and how it is trending.

What does an ECG record?

An ECG (electrocardiogram) records the heart's electrical activity through electrodes on the skin. Each heartbeat's electrical wave produces the familiar tracing, from which the rate, rhythm and various intervals can be read. A standard diagnostic ECG uses 12 leads — ten electrodes giving twelve views of the same electrical signal.

What is a head-to-toe assessment?

A head-to-toe assessment is a structured physical examination that works systematically from head to toe — general appearance and consciousness, then each body system in turn — so nothing is skipped. It establishes a baseline on admission and is repeated in focused form whenever a patient's condition changes.

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This page is for general education only and is not medical advice. Procedures should be performed only by trained staff following their institution's protocols.