To obtain an accurate blood pressure reading, the nurse should
a. position the patient's arm slightly above the level of the heart.
b. apply the cuff with the inflated bladder over the brachial artery.
c. inflate the blood pressure cuff to approximately 40 mm Hg above the established baseline blood pressure.
d. look at the column of mercury with your eyes at the level of the meniscus of mercury.
D
To obtain an accurate blood pressure reading, the nurse would make sure the patient has not had any caffeine or tobacco products in the past 30 minutes. Position the patient sitting, standing, or supine. Position the arm or leg to be used so that the extremity is at a level equal to the heart to prevent a false reading. Apply the deflated BP cuff around the bare upper arm. The bottom of the BP cuff should be 1 to 2 inches above the antecubital fossa. The center of the bladder should be directly above the brachial artery. Place the bell of the stethoscope over the blood pressure site. Inflate the BP cuff to approximately 20 mm Hg above the established baseline blood pressure. Slowly open the valve and release the pressure at a rate of 2 to 3 mm Hg per second. Read the column of mercury with your eyes at the level of the meniscus of mercury. Therefore, the only correct choice is "d."
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