The patient has an order to be off the floor for 15 minutes every 2 hours to smoke a cigarette.The patient has just returned from his "cigarette break." The nurse is about to take the patient's radial pulse and should:

Question

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If a patient has been smoking,wait 15 minutes before assessing pulse.Anxiety,activity,or smoking elevates heart rate.Assessing radial pulse rate at rest allows for objective comparison of values.
Fingertips are the most sensitive parts of the hand for palpating arterial pulsation.The nurse's thumb has pulsation that interferes with accuracy.Pulse assessment is more accurate when moderate pressure is used.Too much pressure occludes pulse and impairs blood flow.If pulse is regular,count rate for 30 seconds and multiply total by 2.If pulse is irregular,count rate for a full 60 seconds.Assess frequency and pattern of irregularity.

The Patient Has an Order to Be Off the Floor