Head-to-Toe Assessment Checklist and Nursing Resources

Performing a full physical assessment takes time and practice. Learning a step-wise approach and breaking down special techniques can help you master physical assessment skills, recognize subtle changes, and ensure rapid intervention when changes occur. Our clinical editors have created the Pocket Cards below, along with supplemental blog posts, tables, and infographics to help you master the health history, full head-to-toe physical assessment, and focused assessments by body system. Your skills are important to provide best care, inform other members of the healthcare team, and improve outcomes.

 

Physical Assessment Pocket Cards	Special Techniques in Physical Assessment
Head to Toe Assessment
The Health History	Chief Complaint Mnemonics
General Assessment	Accurately Assessing Peripheral Pulses Measuring Non-Invasive Blood Pressure Step by Step How To Measure Orthostatic Vital Signs
Mental Health Assessment	Assessing Level of Consciousness Understanding Aphasia Disorders of Thought Process and Thought Content Tests for Higher Cognitive Function
Pain Assessment
Nutritional Assessment	ABCDs of the Nutritional Assessment
Neurologic Assessment	How To Assess Doll's Eyes Reflex Special Techniques in Neurologic Assessment How to Assess Discriminative Sensations What is Pronator Drift? Spasticity vs. Rigidity: What’s the Difference? How To Assess for Clonus Grading Deep Tendon Reflexes What is Asterixis?
Cranial Nerves
HEENT Assessment	Fundoscopic Exam Abnormal Fundoscopic Findings Pinpointing Ptosis Weber & Rinne
Pulmonary Assessment	All About Abnormal Breath Sounds Egophony, Bronchophony, and Whispered Pectoriloquy - Say What? Crunch and Rub - Am I Hearing that Right?
Cardiac Assessment	Heart Murmurs – When, Where, What? Bruits and Thrills: What was that? Understanding Pulsus Paradoxus Pulsus Alternans: Here and Gone Extra Heart Sounds What Does Jugular Venous Pressure Tell Us About Volume Status?
Breast Assessment
Gastrointestinal Assessment	The Appendix to Appendicitis: Know the Signs of Appendicitis 2 Ways to Assess the Spleen
Integumentary Assessment	How to Describe Skin Lesions The ABCDE-EFG Method for Assessing Moles
Musculoskeletal Assessment
Neurovascular Assessment
Female Genitourinary Assessment	Cervical Motion Tenderness
Male Genitourinary Assessment
Digital Rectal Examination