Evaluating a staff development physical assessment program

This program evaluation assessed whether nursing staff who took a mandatory physical assessment course were using the information in their daily practice. A questionnaire designed to assess clinical usage of 17 physical assessment skills was sent to the nurses who completed the first four classes of the assessment course. The results showed that the majority of the nurses used only nine of the 17 skills on a daily basis. Skills used most frequently were mental status and skin system assessments. The skills reported as least used were assessments for extraocular movements, cranial nerves, and jugular vein distention. These results imply that nurses may be applying only those skills required by the patient population on their particular unit. Staff development educators need to reassess physical assessment course content and tailor the courses to teach the skills required for specialty patient populations.