Skill 22 - Measures And Records Manual Blood Pressure

Credentia: Northern California Skill Listing

Step 1

Explains procedure, speaking clearly, slowly and directly, maintaining face-to-face contact whenever possible

Step 2

Before using stethoscope, wipes bell/diaphragm and earpieces of stethoscope with alcohol

Step 3

Client’s arm is positioned with palm up and upper arm is exposed

Step 4

Feels for brachial artery on inner aspect of arm, at bend of elbow

Step 5

Places blood pressure cuff snugly on client’s upper arm, with sensor/arrow over brachial artery site

Step 6

Earpieces of stethoscope are in ears and bell/diaphragm is over brachial artery site

Step 7

Candidate inflates cuff between 160mm Hg to 180 mm Hg. If beat heard immediately upon cuff deflation, completely deflate cuff. Reinflate cuff to no more than 200 mm Hg

Step 8

Deflates cuff slowly and notes the first sound (systolic reading), and last sound (diastolic reading) (If rounding needed, measurements are rounded UP to the nearest 2 mm of mercury)

Step 9

Removes cuff

Step 10

Signaling device is within reach

Step 11

Before recording, washes hands

Step 12 (Bold)

After obtaining reading using BP cuff and stethoscope, records both systolic and diastolic pressures each within plus or minus 8 mm of evaluator’s readings