California Nurse Aide Skills Procedures Practice Test 2025 - Free CNA Skills Practice Questions and Study Guide

The appropriate procedure for inflating the blood pressure cuff is to inflate it to a range between 160-180 mmHg. This range is typically recommended to ensure that the cuff is inflated sufficiently to occlude the brachial artery, allowing for an accurate measurement of blood pressure. The goal is to exceed the systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure in the arteries during heartbeats, ensuring that the pulse is not detectable during inflation.

Inflating the cuff beyond this level provides a safety buffer to eliminate the variability in systolic pressure readings, which can be affected by various factors including movement or technique. While discomfort should be acknowledged during the process, discomfort should not dictate the inflation level; clinical guidelines are established to ensure accurate and safe measurements. The other options either do not reach the necessary pressure levels for accurate reading or rely on subjective feedback from the resident, which is not suitable for standard practice.