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... carried out are: body temperature, blood pressure, respiratory rate, pulse oximetry and peak expiratory flow rate. Before the nurse carries out a procedure, it is essential that they explain to the patient exactly what they are going to do, for what purpose and they must get consent from the patient. Definition of pulse rate (obtained from The Royal Marsden Hospital Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures, p.442): "The pulse is a pressure wave that is transmitted through the arterial tree with each heart beat following the expansion and recoil of arteries during each cardiac cycle. A pulse can be palpated in any artery that lies close to the surface of the body. The radial artery at the wrist is easily accessible and therefore often used but there are pulses such as the carotid, femoral and brachial plexus." When the ventricle contracts it sends a pressure wave down the arterial tree. This distends ...