Physical Examination Skills Used by Nursing Students and Determination the Barriers Encountered in the Use of These Skills

INTRODUCTION: This paper investigated nursing students’ physical examination skills and barriers preventing them from putting those skills into practice.
METHODS: The sample consisted of 98 intern nursing students at the Faculty of Nursing of Akdeniz University. Data were collected using a demographic characteristic questionnaire, the Barriers to Nurses’ Use of Physical Assessment Scale (BNUPAS), and the Physical Examination Skills Inventory. The study was approved by an ethics committee. Institutional permission was obtained.
RESULTS: Participants (66 women and 32 men) had a mean age of 22.3 ± 1.09. Thirty-six participants did clinical practice in surgical units and 34 in internal units. They used the physical examination skills of “inspection and palpation of the head region (71.4%)” and “evaluation for conjunctivitis and jaundice (65.3%)” once or twice during their clinical practice. They had high BNUPAS “lack of time and interruptions” (3.25 ± 0.81) and “ward culture” (2.92 ± 0.67) subscale scores.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Nursing students mostly do not put their physical examination skills into practice as part of their daily patient assessment. Ward culture and lack of time prevent them from using their physical examination skills.