The nurse should test the functioning of which structure(s) when determining whether a person is oriented to his or her surroundings?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The cerebral cortex (the outer layer of the cerebrum) is responsible for thought, memory, reasoning, sensation, and voluntary movement. Thus, determining orientation would assess the functioning of the cerebral cortex. The cerebellum is a coiled structure located under the occipital lobe that is concerned with motor coordination of voluntary movements, equilibrium, and muscle tone, but not a person's thought processes or orientation. The cranial nerves are responsible for relaying sensory and motor information to and from the brain, but are not involved in thought processes or orientation. The medulla oblongata is located in the brainstem and it has vital autonomic (involuntary) centers (respiration, heart, gastrointestinal function) and nuclei of cranial nerves VIII through XII. Pyramidal decussation (crossing of the motor fibers) also occurs here, but the medulla oblongata is not involved in thought or orientation.

The Nurse Should Test the Functioning of Which Structure(s) When