BACKGROUND: In nursing practice, it has been noticed that those examinations are rarely done in a singular and systematic way. AIM: To verify the importance attributed by nurses to the physical examination in elderly, for hospital nursing assistance. METHOD: Twenty five nurses from the following wards were interviewed: Surgery, Gastroenterology, Cardiology and Pneumology, and Adult General ward I - II at the Clinical Hospital, Campinas State University. RESULTS: Only one of the informants had no information on physical examination during graduation and most of them had lack of information or no information at all on senescence and senility. Most informants (88%) perform the physical examination and show motivation to execute it, though they do it in an incomplete way. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: This results show the requirement of capacitation for nurses who treats the aged, considering that physical examination in elderly has its specificities.
Physical examination; Age; Geriatric nursing; Teaching