Transcript for:
Guidelines for Measuring Blood Pressure

- [Narrator] The purpose of this video is to demonstrate skill number 12, measures and records an electronic blood pressure. Steps one through three will comprise your introductory speech, covered introductory video. Step one, address the client by name and introduce self to the client. Step two, explain the procedure, speaking clearly, slowly, and directly, maintaining face-to-face contact whenever possible. Step three, privacy is provided with a curtain, screen, or door. Step four, have the client assume a comfortable lying or sitting position. - Knock, knock, knock. Hi Mrs. Jones, my name is Mark. I'm gonna be your student nurse aid today, and today we're gonna check your blood pressure. Call lights within reach. Bed is in a low and locked position. Privacy curtain is pulled. Wash my hands. This time I'm gonna make sure that my patient is lying on their back in a supine position, and they're laying flat. - [Narrator] Step number five, the client's arm is positioned at the level of the heart with the palm up and the upper arm is exposed. - Mrs. Jones, could you go ahead and put your arm down to your side? Palm is up. - [Narrator] Step number six, selects the appropriate cuff size. - [Mark] There are going to be multiple sizings of cuffs that you're gonna be using. They range from pediatric all the way up to bariatric. You need to make sure that you're selecting the appropriate size. If you select too small of a cuff for the patient, their blood pressure will be artificially high. And the reverse of that, if you select too large of a cuff for the patient, their blood pressure will be artificially low. So this will be our correct sizing of cuff for this patient. - [Narrator] Step number seven, feels for the brachial artery on the inner aspect of the arm at the bend of the elbow. - [Mark] So here's the patient's elbow, I'm gonna go to the inner aspect of the arm. Using my non-dominant hand, I'm going to palpate and feel for that brachial pulse. Okay, I feel that. - [Narrator] Step number eight, places the blood pressure cuff snugly on the client's upper arm, and the sensor arrow is over the brachial artery site. - [Mark] So with this blood pressure cuff, I'm going to open it up. The tubing is going to be facing down, and there's going to be a small circle with a line through it. The small circle with a line through it needs to be directly over top of the artery in order to get a correct blood pressure reading. Slide this over your patient's arm. Line it up with that brachial artery. And then secure. - [Narrator] Step number nine, turns on the machine and ensures the device is functioning. If the machine has different settings for infants, children, and adults, selects the appropriate setting. Step number 10, pushes the start button. - [Mark] So with our machines, whenever we press the power button, it automatically starts with the blood pressure. So what you're going to do is make sure that the blood pressure cuff is connected to the machine. You're going to press the power button, and it's going to start with your blood pressure. While it's starting with your blood pressure, look up in the left upperhand corner to make sure that it's selected for adult. [Narrator] If the cuff inflates to more than 200 millimeters of mercury, you need to stop the machine and use the cuff on the client's other arm. Step number 11, waits until the blood pressure cuff reading appears on the screen and for the cuff to deflate. Then removes the cuff. (machine beeps) (machine beeps) (machine beeps) (machine beeps) (machine beeps) (machine beeps) (machine beeps) - [Mark] Kay, now I'm going to remove the cuff from the patient's arm. (velcro tearing) - [Narrator] Step number 12 and 13 will comprise your exit speech covered in the introductory video. Step number 12, signaling devices within reach. Step number 13, before recording, wash hands. - Call lights within reach. Bed is in a low and locked position. Pull the privacy curtain back. I'm going to wash my hands. - [Narrator] Step number 14, after obtaining the reading using the blood pressure cuff, records both the systolic and diastolic pressures exactly as displayed on the digital screen. - 104 over 72, and then my unit of measure is mmHg, which stands for millimeters of mercury. Skill complete.