Observe quietly for a full 30 seconds. Count each chest rise, then document rate, depth, and effort.
Watch chest and abdominal movement
30 SEC00.0
Timer continues until you submit.
Start the 30-second observation before entering your findings.
Practice point: Do not tell a real patient you are counting respirations. Observe rate, depth, effort, symmetry, speech, and abnormal sounds.
For irregular respirations, count longer and follow your instructor or local protocol.