Physiologic and psychosocial assessment in labor.

The details of physiological and psychosocial assessment are available in many texts, and the techniques are relatively simple. Several assumptions underlie an excellent labor assessment: 1. that the nurse has a thorough knowledge of the physiological processes of pregnancy and labor; 2. that the nurse has a thorough knowledge of the psychosocial implications of pregnancy and labor; 3. that the nurse has the ability to set priorities and balance the focus of her assessment; 4. that the nurse has the ability to refrain from stereotyping the woman in labor; 5. that the nurse does not let her own expectations of feelings and behavior in labor mask what the patient is really experiencing; and 6. that the nurse is willing to follow up, evaluate, and reassess in order to verify her assessments and improve her assessment skills.