Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 91%
Simulated
The nurse is caring for a patient and is monitoring the level of consciousness hourly per hospital mandated policy. The nurse initially assesses the patient be awake with forgetfulness and difficulty following commands without prompting or reminders. 1 hour later, the nurse assesses the patient to be sleepy with slow and delayed responses to stimuli. Describe the two assessments of level of consciousness:
Correct answer
A
Rationale
Initial forgetfulness and difficulty following commands indicate confusion, while later sleepiness and slow responses indicate lethargy.