Physical Assessment: A Continuing Need for Clarification

PROBLEM. Physical assessment skills are a mainstay of the nursing process and are taught to pre-licensure learners. Little research has been conducted on the skills that are actually used in practice compared to those that are taught in pre-licensure education. METHOD. This article provides an integrated literature review regarding physical assessment skills and their practical application. FINDINGS. Physical assessment skills are consistently referred to as part of the first step of the nursing process, but further clarification about which skills are included in the definition is needed. CONCLUSIONS. Further research is needed to clarify if what is taught is actually used and to what extent in clinical practice.