Clinical Skills Performance Checklists: Measuring the

Radial and Apical Pulse

Focus topic: Clinical Skills Performance Checklists

Clinical Skills Performance Checklists: Radial Pulse

Focus topic: Clinical Skills Performance Checklists

Checkpoint—Critical Step:

• Place resident in the supine or sitting position.

• If the resident is lying supine, place arm straight at side or fold arm over chest; if sitting, support
arm with your arm or place on flat surface.
• Place fat pads (just below finger tip) of first two fingers over groove along thumb (radial) side of
resident’s wrist; slightly extend the wrist.
• Lightly press against the radial bone until the pulse is absent momentarily, and then release
pressure to feel the strongest pulse.
• Determine the strength of the pulse: pounding-bounding (+4); strong (+3); weak (+2); thready
(+1), or absent (0).
• Count the pulse for 30 seconds; multiply the total count by 2.
• If the pulse rate is irregular or less than 50 beats per minute (BPM), count the pulse for 60
seconds.
• Record the rate, strength, and rhythm of the radial pulse on the facility form.

EXAM ALERT
A pulse rate less than 50–60 can indicate a serious condition and should be reported to the nurse
immediately.