Anne Pegram and Jacqueline Bloomfield explain why it is crucial to the wellbeing of patients for registered mental health nurses to have the right monitoring techniques

Blood pressure measurement is a vital part of any physical assessment, particularly for people presenting with mental health problems. The measurement techniques are described and the influence of factors common to people with mental health problems, such as stress, vasoactive medication, an unhealthy lifestyle and being overweight, are discussed. Mental health nurses can help in the early detection of physical problems in their clients by carrying out this simple screening procedure.