Sharing Our Experience: Drip Titration and Block Charting

For titrated vasoactive agents, titrated sedative agents, or titrated pain medications in the intensive care unit or procedural setting, it would be appropriate to have a policy that states the chosen dose within a range can be selected by the nurse, given the patient’s physiological condition. The nurse should be allowed to select a dose in the range on the basis of the current condition of the patient and consistent with state law and patient response.

The Joint Commission does not prohibit the use of range orders for either dose or frequency of administration or both. Organizations should check with state nursing practice regulations to ensure this practice is not prohibited by the state.

We have found that block charting enables the staff to be at the bedside and care for the patient, not worrying about documentation with each single titration. In this way, it has improved the efficiency of...