Nursing documentation versus standardized assessment of cognitive status in hospitalized medical patients

Citation
E. Souder et Ps. O'Sullivan, Nursing documentation versus standardized assessment of cognitive status in hospitalized medical patients, AP NURS RES, 13(1), 2000, pp. 29-36
Citations number
31
Categorie Soggetti
Public Health & Health Care Science
Journal title
APPLIED NURSING RESEARCH
ISSN journal
08971897 → ACNP
Volume
13
Issue
1
Year of publication
2000
Pages
29 - 36
Database
ISI
SICI code
0897-1897(200002)13:1<29:NDVSAO>2.0.ZU;2-4
Abstract
Although the literature discusses the importance of assessing cognitive sta tus, little research has explored the concordance of nurses' documentation of cognitive status and standardized assessment. This study examined nurses documentation of cognitive status in 42 medically hospitalized individuals (mean age 51.9, SD = 10.1 years) using a variety of standardized measures. Although the charr review revealed no documentation of impaired cognitive status, impaired performance in 24 to 67% of the cognitive measures was ide ntified. This study suggests nurses are missing cognitive impairment in hos pitalized patients by limiting assessment to orientation. Use of a combinat ion of several brief screening measures, such as the Clock Drawing Test and the standardized Mini-Mental State Examination, would provide timely, effe ctive, and inexpensive assessment of cognitive status. Copyright (C) 2000 b y W.B. Saunders Company.