Vital signs: a nurse-led education initiative for occupational therapists

This article describes a collaborative development between a critical care outreach team and occupational therapists to improve the therapists' awareness of vital signs. Occupational therapists are increasingly involved in patient discharge from acute care areas; traditionally, their role focused on rehabilitation of patients who had recovered from acute crises. In accordance with improving patient safety, occupational therapists need to be able to recognise the early warning signs of acute deterioration and understand the significance of vital signs to be able to raise concerns with nursing and medical staff.