1. A charge nurse is discussing mental status exams with a newly licensed nurse. Which of the following statements by the newly licensed nurse indicates an understanding of the teaching? (Select all that apply) A. "To assess cognitive ability, I should ask the client to count backward by sevens." B. "To assess affect, I should observe the client's facial expression." C. "To assess language ability, I should instruct the client to write a sentence." D. "To assess remote memory, I s...

Mental Status • Mental status is a person’s emotional and cognitive functioning o Optimal functioning aims toward simultaneous life satisfaction in work, caring relationships, and within the self o Usually, mental status strikes a balance between good and bad days, allowing person to function socially and occupationally Question The nurse understands that all of the following are components of the mental status assessment except? 1. Known illness or health problem 2. Current medic...

Defining Mental Status • Mental status cannot be scrutinized directly like the characteristics of skin or heart sounds • Its functioning is inferred through assessment of an individual’s behaviors: o Consciousness ▪ Being aware of one's own existence, feelings, and thoughts and of the environment. This is the most elementary of mental status functions. o Language ▪ Using the voice to communicate one's thoughts and feelings. This is a basic tool of humans, and its loss has a hea...