The nurse is preparing to perform a focused abdominal assessment on a client. Which is the correct order of this assessment?

  1. inspection, auscultation, palpation, percussion
  2. inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation
  3. inspection, percussion, auscultation, palpation
  4. inspection, percussion, palpation, auscultation
Number 1 is correct.
Rationale: The correct order is inspection, auscultation, palpation, percussion. Abdominal assessment varies slightly from other assessments in that auscultation is performed before palpation or percussion in order to avoid changing the intensity and frequency of bowel sounds.