Rest the person quietly for 5 minutes
Seat the person with back supported, feet flat on the floor, and legs uncrossed
Support the arm at heart level
Use the correct cuff size
Wrap the cuff snugly on the upper arm, 1 inch above the elbow crease
Place the stethoscope over the brachial artery
Close the valve on the inflation bulb
Inflate the cuff until the pulse disappears, then 20 to 30 mmHg more
Slowly release the valve at 2 to 3 mmHg per second
Listen for the first Korotkoff sound and note the systolic pressure
Continue deflating until the sounds disappear and note the diastolic pressure
Record the reading as systolic over diastolic
Wait 1 to 2 minutes before repeating on the same arm if needed
Record the arm used, position, and time of the reading