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:

A) wait about 15 minutes before taking his pulse.
B) use her thumb to detect the pulse and get an accurate count.
C) press hard to detect the pulse and get an accurate count.
D) take his pulse for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.

If a patient has been smoking,wait 15 minutes before assessing pulse.Anxiety,activity,and smoking elevate 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 the pulse is regular,count the rate for 30 seconds and multiply the total by 2.If the pulse is irregular,count the rate for a full 60 seconds.Assess the frequency and the pattern of irregularity.