How to examine a joint (look, feel, move)
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.
Every joint exam uses the same pattern: look, feel, move, then special tests. Always compare with the other side.
Step by step
Prepare
Clean your hands, introduce yourself, get consent, ask where it hurts and expose both joints. [1]
Look
Swelling, redness, deformity, muscle wasting, scars and posture. [1]
Feel
Temperature with the back of your hand, tenderness along the joint line and bones, swelling or fluid, crepitus. [1]
Move: active
Ask the patient to move the joint through its full range and watch for pain. [1]
Move: passive
Move it gently yourself and compare. Pain on both suggests the joint; pain only on active suggests muscles or tendons. [1]
Strength
Test against resistance on a 0 to 5 scale. [1]
Function and nerves
Gait, grip or daily tasks; pulses, sensation and movement below the joint. [1]
Record
Write findings by look, feel and move, with both sides. [1]
Common errors
- Examining only the painful side.
- Passive movement before active (more pain, less trust).
- Forgetting nerves and pulses below the joint.
Practice it in VMS
In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
VMS cases that train this skill
Sources
- Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College) (CC BY 4.0)
- NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint
Steps adapted from Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Facts and steps also follow NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint. VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.