A patient has been in the intensive care unit for 10 days.He has just been moved to the medical-surgical unit and the admitting nurse is planning to perform a mental status examination on him.During the tests of cognitive function the nurse would expect that he:
A)may display some disruption in thought content.
B)will state,"I am so relieved to be out of intensive care."
C)will be oriented to place and person but may not be certain of the date.
D)may show evidence of some clouding of his level of consciousness.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse can discern the orientation of cognitive function through the course of the interview or can tactfully ask directly."Some people have trouble keeping up with the dates while in the hospital.Do you know today's date?" Many hospitalized people normally have trouble with the exact date but are fully oriented on the remaining items.

A Patient Has Been in the Intensive Care Unit for 10