PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT SKILLS IN CLINICAL SETTINGS AMONG NURSING STUDENTS AT CAN THO UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND PHARMACY

Tóm tắt

Background: Physical assessment is a systematic evaluation of a patient’s physiological status and represents a fundamental component of the nursing process that underpins accurate clinical judgment and care planning. Adequate physical assessment skills among nursing students are essential for early detection of patient deterioration, effective clinical decision-making, and the delivery of safe, high-quality nursing care. Objectives: To assess the level of physical assessment skill application among nursing students during clinical practice at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and to examine the associated factors with this level of practice. Materials and methods:A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 113 third and fourth-year nursing students at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy. A 30-question questionnaire was used to survey the students' application of physical assessment skills in clinical practice. The collected data were analyzed using Jamovi software. Results: A total of 41.6% nursing students demonstrated physical assessment skills practice always or frequently, and 47.8% practiced occasionally or rarely. However, only 13 skills were performed always or frequently, 16 skills were performed occasionally or rarely, and one skill was not performed. There is an association between the year of academic performance and the frequency of performing physical assessment skills during clinical practice (p<0.001). Conclusion: Nursing students predominantly performed physical assessment skills at an occasional or rare level, with limited skills practiced consistently. The findings suggest that improved educational strategies are required to enhance nursing students’ application of physical assessment skills.