Final answer:
It is often true that nurses wait 2 minutes between blood pressure readings to minimize the effect of anxiety, using a sphygmomanometer and stethoscope to listen for Korotkoff sounds which indicate systolic and diastolic pressures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a nurse waits 2 minutes to measure a patient's blood pressure again is often true, and the primary purpose of taking two measurements is to minimize the effect of anxiety on the patient's blood pressure reading, which can result in a falsely elevated reading initially. When measuring blood pressure, the first Korotkoff sound heard through the stethoscope indicates the systolic pressure, and the disappearance of the sound denotes the diastolic pressure. The technique employs a sphygmomanometer, which is a blood pressure cuff connected to a measuring device, and a stethoscope to hear Korotkoff sounds that indicate changes in blood flow through the vessels as air pressure in the cuff is adjusted.