Determining the Use of Physical Assessment Skills in the Clinical Setting

This study examined the clinical application of physical assessment skills by baccalaureate nurses. Fifty-nine pediatric staff nurses practicing in two different hospitals in Southern California completed a questionnaire which surveyed how frequently assessment skills were utilized and what deterrents, if any, inhibit their use. Approximately one-third of the 36 skills listed were utilized daily by at least 74% of the participants, and respondents selected a variety of deterrents to the utilization of other skills. There was no significant difference in the utilization of skills between nurses who had taken a separate course in physical assessment and those from an integrated curriculum.