The practical nurse (PN) observes a newly hired unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) who is counting a client's radial pulse as seen in the picture. Which action should the PN take?

A radial pulse is the pulse felt at the wrist, where the radial artery runs along the thumb side of the forearm. It is one of the most common sites for measuring a person's heart rate⁴. To measure a radial pulse, the examiner should place two or three fingers over the radial artery, just below the wrist crease, and apply gentle pressure until a pulsation is felt. The examiner should not use the thumb, as it has its own pulse and may interfere with the accuracy of the measurement. The examiner should count the number of beats for 15, 30, or 60 seconds, depending on the regularity and rate of the pulse³⁵. In the picture, the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) is using the thumb to measure the radial pulse, which is incorrect. The practical nurse (PN) should demonstrate the correct pulse site to the UAP and explain why using the thumb is not appropriate. This will help to ensure that the UAP obtains an accurate and reliable pulse rate for the client.