Assessing Blood Pressure Steps

Step 1

Provide privacy close curtain

Step 2

Introduce yourself and provide hand hygiene wash hands

Step 3

Verify client identity

Step 4

Ask if they have any allergies

Step 5

Explain what you are doing

Step 6

Select appropriate arm to apply the cuff

Step 7

Place the client in lying or sitting position

Step 8

Support the forearm at the level of the heart with the palm of the hand upward

Step 9

Visualize clients brachial artery brachial artery by removing any clothes or bed linens

Step 10

Choose the appropriate cuff size

Step 11

Palpate the brachial artery, apply cuff with the center extending over the brachial artery, atleast 1 inch above

Step 12

Line the artery marking on the cuff with brachial artery, with the tubing extending from the edge of the cuff. Wrap the cuff aroundthe upper arm snugly and securely.

Step 13

With gauge at eye level, verify that the needle on the aneroid manometer is at the zero mark

Step 14

palpate the brachial artery

Step 15

Tighten the screw valve on the pump and inflate cuff, continue to palpate the brachial artery until it is no longer palpable.

Step 16

Deflate the cuff, wait 1 minute, leave cuff in place

Step 17

Position yourself no more than 3 ft away from gauge

Step 18

clean earpieces, bell, and diaphragm of the stethoscope with an alcohol pad

Step 19

Place the earpiece in your ears and the diaphram firmly over brachial artery

Step 20

Ensure that the stethoscope is not touching clothing or the cuff

Step 21

Tighten the screw valve on the air pump and inflate the cuff, pumping the pressure to 30mm Hg over the estimated systolic pressure

Step 22

Open the valve and slowly release the air, dropping the gauge about 2 to 33 mm

Step 23

Identify the number on the gauge when the first faint clear sound is heard which slowly increases in intensity

Step 24

Continue to release the air until the sound completely disappears - note number on gauge

Step 25

Deflate and remove the cuff

Step 26

position client comfortably and cover

Step 27

Clean the bell and diaphragm

Step 28

Ensure that the client is in a safe position with call light in reach

Step 29

Compare findings with the clients baseline