Which technique is appropriate for assessing a patient's skin temperature?

Palpation is the appropriate technique for assessing a patient's skin temperature because it involves using the hands to physically feel the skin. When assessing temperature, a nurse can use the back of their hand or fingertips to gauge warmth or coolness in different areas of the body. This tactile approach allows for a direct assessment of temperature variations, which can provide important information about vascular status, possible infection, or other underlying conditions.

In contrast, inspection primarily involves looking at the skin and is useful for identifying color changes, lesions, or rashes but does not allow for temperature assessment. Auscultation is a technique used to listen to internal sounds of the body, such as heart and lung sounds, and is not relevant to skin temperature. Percussion involves tapping on the body to assess underlying structures and can provide information about density and size of organs, but again does not yield information about skin temperature. Thus, palpation is the correct choice for assessing this particular aspect of a patient's condition.