Faculty of Nursing-IUG

1. Faculty of Nursing-IUG Chapter (13) Assessment of Neurological system

2. Assess this system when doing physical examination e.g. cranial nerve function can be testing during the survey of the head and neck. • The neurological assessment consists of six parts: (mental status, cranial nerves, sensory functions, motor function, cerebellar function, reflexes). Subjective data: • Loss of consciousness, dizziness, and fainting. • Headache: precipitating factors and duration. • Numbness and tingling or paralysis or neuralgia. • Loss of memory, confusion, visual loss, blurring, and pain. • Facial pain, weakness, twitching, speech problems e.g. aphasia. • Swallowing problems and drooling. • Neck weakness or spasm

3. Mental and emotional • Mental and emotional status is observed as the nursing history is collected, and by simply interacting with client, e.g. “Nursing care plan” Level of consciousness • Level of consciousness ranges from full a wakening, “alertness” to unresponsiveness to any form of external stimuli. • Alert client responds to questions spontaneously. • Assess level of consciousness by using Glasgow coma scale

4. Glasgow coma scale

5. Assessment of behavior and Appearance • Behavior, mood, hygiene, grooming and choice of dress reveal pertinent information about client’s mental status. • Appearance reflects how a client feels about the self. • Personal hygiene such as unkempt hair, a dirty body, or broken, dirty fingernails should be noted. • Language: Assess ability of individual to understand spoken or written words & how he speak or writes. • Assess intellectual function, which includes: memory “recent, immediate, past”, knowledge, abstract thinking, association and judgment. Assess for sensory function: • Assess sensitivity to light touch “cotton” • Assess sensitivity to pain “pinprick” • Assess sensitivity to vibrations “tuning fork” • Assess sensitivity to positions. • Don’t forget comparing both sides of body.