A patient monitor includes a clamping device on its rear surface for securely holding the monitor on an intravenous line (IV) pole. The clamping device is operated by the user with a sliding lever located on the side of the unit. The clamping mechanism has a ratcheting device to maintain the clamping force on the IV pole applied by the user with a simple one hand pull. The sliding lever has two buttons that release the clamp from the IV pole when the buttons are depressed simultaneously. The IV pole clamping system provides a simple and reliable mechanism for securely attaching the patient monitor to a stretcher IV pole or a free standing IV pole during patient transfer.