1. Weight Changes in weight are an indicator of the patient’s condition and progress Baseline measurement on admission Measure in kilograms (kg)

2. Types of Scales Upright scale for ambulatory patients Bed scales for patients who must stay in bed Chair scales for patients in wheelchairs –or for patients who are not bedridden but cannot stand independently

3. Tips Scale with balance bar –must add large weight bar number and small weight bar number together Bedscale –patient’s feet should hang over the end of the sling so that the patient is properly balanced –base legs should be in maximum open position

4. Tips Chairscale –when zeroing it out, make sure foot rests are in the position they’ll be when you weigh the patient in order to obtain an accurate weight Electronic scales –toggle switch to move from kg to pounds –keep plugged in when not in use, so they will be charged up when it is time to weigh a patient

5. Measuring Height Raise height bar until it rests level on the patient’s head Make the reading at the movable part of the ruler Record in centimeters –if need to convert from feet and inches first convert feet to inches by multiplying by 12 then add the additional inches to that multiply the total number of inches by 2.5 to get the number of centimeters