A nurse is caring for a client in a surgical recovery unit. Exhibits Drag the words from the choices below to fill in each blank in the following sentence To effectively conduct an abdominal assessment, a nurse shoulddropdown, dropdownand dropdownin the correct order

Rationale for correct choices: Inspect the abdomen: Visual inspection is the first step to identify distention, asymmetry, scars, or visible peristalsis, providing a baseline for further assessment. Auscultate for bowel sounds: Auscultation is performed before palpation to avoid stimulating the bowel, which could alter bowel sounds. It identifies hypoactive, hyperactive, or absent bowel activity. Palpate for tenderness: Palpation is performed last to assess for tenderness, masses, or guarding, ensuring patient comfort and preventing interference with bowel sound assessment. Rationale for incorrect choices: Percuss the abdomen: Percussion can assess for fluid or organ size but is not part of the standard initial sequence for abdominal assessment. While percussion is a valid part of an abdominal exam (used to identify fluid, air, or organ size), it should follow auscultation and precede deep palpation. In this specific question, "auscultate" and "palpate" are higher-priority steps for identifying the hypoactive sounds and firmness noted in the nurse's notes. Check for costovertebral angle tenderness: This evaluates kidney tenderness and is not routinely included in a general abdominal assessment unless renal pathology is suspected. Measure abdominal girth: This may be used to monitor changes in distention but is not part of the primary sequential abdominal assessment.