Conclusion and Final Thoughts

       Now that everyone’s mind is overloaded with material, (smile), I feel I have discussed the objective of the teaching/learning plan which was to describe and correctively perform a cognitive/neurological assessment. The rationale for performing a correct cognitive/neurological assessment is evident by assessment consistency which is the key to identifying changes in a patient’s status and identifying changes early which leads to faster treatment. Faster treatment leads to better outcomes for the patients (Rehabilitation Standard of Care, 2011). This teaching plan focused on staff education and its’ objectives using Bloom’s taxonomy. 

     I think the information was given in an orderly fashion specific enough that anyone reading the introduction and objectives would know exactly what material would be presented. Various teaching media/materials were discussed as well as developed discussion questions that can be used to evaluate the learner’s achievement of the objectives. 

     I would like to share my own insights and reflection of what I gained from this lesson plan since I followed the technique of the learning framework. The learning framework and my own teaching philosophy created a foundation to begin the project. I believe communication and the interaction with one another in this type of setting (staff education) is highly important because sometimes information is not clearly communicated to all. I feel this is a reason various types of media/materials are used, so that information can be presented in other forms.

     Funny thing was, tension was building when I realized how much information was too much information or lack thereof, throughout the teaching/learning plan. . .LOL! I also felt that this topic required appendices (A-E), to provide enough material to review prior to the staff’s education session.

     This blog has come to an end and I hope everyone enjoyed my teaching/lesson plan. Good luck to all of you!

As Always, Panthera!

                                References

Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, & T. A. Dewey. (2012). The Animal  Diversity Web (online). Accessed at http://animaldiversity.org.

Rehabilitation Standard of Care. (2011). Retrieved from www.thedacare.org (intranet).

Survey Results & Discussion Questions

Hi All,    
    At first, I wanted to present the entire PowerPoint presentation to all of you but since it is quite lengthy I will display the results of the survey.  They are as follows:

*59% of nurses reported the most difficult was in 3 of the 9 cognitive component responses: visual field testing, expressive and receptive aphasia’s, cranial nerve deficits.

*35% of nurses reported the most difficult in 5 of the 9 cognitive component responses: MMT, neuroanatomy terms, cognition related to time, memory loss, and section of the spinal cord.

(Survey, retrieved and created from http://www.surveymonkey.com/)

     I also wanted to point out what the pie chart indicated. It is evident that the part of the assessment which most often gets missed is the pupil eye assessment/reaction and tracking; equalling 38%. That percentage is quite bothersome to me, when in fact, this staff works entirely on a neuro unit.

       I think it is important to discuss the evaluation of the learner's achievement, as well.  The outcome(s) of teaching should be the completion of the course goals and objectives as evidenced by the assignment (simulation) and discussions generated from the nurses/staff.  The choosing of teaching goals and objectives fit well within the appropriate Bloom’s taxonomy as evidenced by “knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation” (Bradshaw & Lowenstein, 2011, p. 559). “Reflection is both an ongoing process and a critical evaluation of what has already been done. Reflection involves both thinking and evaluation, creatively and systematically, in order to come to a deeper understanding” (Bradshaw & Lowenstein, 2011, p.149). Related to the evaluation of the learner’s achievement, the following questions are to be considered:

1.      (Course goals) Does the professor have clear goals for the course? If so, are the goals communicated to you (the student)?  The rationale is that according to a research study that was done, "K.L., Weick studied perceptions of both students and nurse educators to determine qualities each group would find most desirable. From her research, Weick concluded new student nurses want instructors they can approach and instruction that is clear and concise," (Weick, 2003).

2.      (Development) What changes would you suggest for this course? (Department of Education, 2002).

3.      (Student outcomes) Have you (the student) made progress toward achieving course goals?



I know this pie chart may be alittle larger than normal (but I bet the size got your attention, though, LOL!); I wanted you to see the actual parts and percentages. 

So long for now. . .

Panthera!

                                                                     References

Bradshaw, M. J., & Lowenstein, A. J. (2011). Innovative teaching strategies in nursing and health professions (5th Ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

Department of Education (2002). Formative Evaluation Plan for Teaching. Retrieved from http://www.denison.edu/offices/provost/education.pdf

Survey.(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.surveymonkey.com/

Wieck, KL (2003). Faculty for the millennium: changes needed to attract the emerging workforce into nursing. Journal of Nursing Education, 42(4):151-158.  Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=uthson_ceirpubs

SurveyMonkey.com (Example Questions Delivered to Staff)

Good afternoon everyone. . .

I promised I would display a sample of what SurveyMonkey.com could provide for you. These are the questions asked to all nurses on the unit who voiced their concerns related to the cognitive/neuro skills assessment being a job performance problem; not everyone was perfoming it correctly.

Could this be the one and only SurveyMonkey? (No, I don't think so....lol!)

  

                                                        References
Monkey.(n.d.). Photo. Retrieved from http://www.funnyfreepics.com/
Survey.(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.surveymonkey.com/

That's all I have to say for today, so until next time. . .

Panthera!

Learning Principles

Hi again,

In this blog, I want to discuss learning principles. Not only is the material presented important for staff, it is also important that the instructor be aware of how his/her material is delivered. There are many good principles to choose from. There will be three learning principles emphasized in this teaching plan.  First, instructors need to make clear expectations of what they want from students. If they want students to achieve at high levels, then we need to define what we expect students to learn (University of Pittsburgh, 2010). What the instructors expect need to be communicated clearly so students can achieve their best.  As we all know, sometimes that does not always occur. As students understand and visualize the criterion needed to meet the standards, in turn, they can see their goals attained.

Secondly, positive reinforcement is another learning principle. It is related to teaching new skills which lead to continued positive behavior.  The rationale is that “instructors need to use reinforcement on a frequent and regular basis to help the students retain what they have learned” (Lieb,1991, para.19).

 The last principle is retention. Students must retain information from classes in order to benefit from the learning. “The instructors' jobs are not finished until they have assisted the learner in retaining the information. In order for participants to retain the information taught, they must see a meaning or purpose for that information. If the participants did not learn the material well initially, they will not retain it well either (Lieb,1991, para.20).

                                                                      References

Lieb, S. (1991). Principles of adult learning. Arizona Department of Health Services and South  Mountain Community College, VISION. Retrieved from http://www2.honolulu.hawaii.edu/facdev/guidebk/teachtip/adults-2.htm

University of Pittsburgh (2010).  Learning Research and Development Center, Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved from http://ifl.lrdc.pitt.edu/ifl/index.php/resources/principles_of_learning

We are coming closer to the end of this topic, I will see you all tomorrow. . .

Panthera!

Teaching Strategies

There are many strategies which may be utilized in a student centered learning environment. Some of them chosen would be problem-based learning, and role playing. Problem-based learning would provide interaction with the (nurses) as well as demonstrating the assessments with one another as evidenced by role playing. “Role play provides immediate feedback to learners regarding their success in using interpersonal skills as well as decision-making and problem solving skills"  (Bradshaw & Lowenstein, 2011, p.186). This would be the time to apply their assessment skills and discuss problematic findings. The rationale is that “this teaching/learning strategy focuses primarily on the process. A small student group works on a case study with the help of a faculty facilitator. This strategy links theory with clinical situations and encourages reasoning in a clinical situation using collaboration and negotiation within the group” (Bradshaw & Lowenstein, 2011, p.57).

Using a power point presentation, for example, will illustrate the steps going through each assessment as evidenced by pictures and words using to describe each. The power point presentation would give a clear, visual, concept of the assessments. The rationale provides a way to connect concepts, allowing the student to visualize during the learning process.  I will provide a PowerPoint presentation for everyone's review later on.

 “Many times new meanings are constructed about events or objects based on the students’ prior knowledge” (Huycke  & Fisher, 2003, p. 313). “This focuses on helping students to reason, prioritize, and link the various components to a patients’ problem with nursing actions. This simple but effective teaching/learning strategy requires students to develop word pictures for a specific patient problem” (Bradshaw & Lowenstein, 2011, p.58). 

Lastly, nurses will illustrate a scenario similar to one practiced in their daily clinical environment (simulation). I feel this activity will indeed provide nurses with the correct performance of a cognitive/neurological assessment and/or will allow room for improvement for those who need further education. “Simulation used in conjunction with role-playing clinical situations involving patients, families, and staff may provide an orientation to situations they may face in the clinical area, and allows students to problem solve in a safe environment” (Bradshaw & Lowenstein, 2011, p.173).

                                                                 References

Bradshaw, M. J., & Lowenstein, A. J. (2011). Innovative teaching strategies in nursing and health professions (5th Ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

Huycke, A. & Fisher, M. (2003). Instructional tools for nursing education: concept maps. Nursing Education Perspectives, 24(6): 311-317.

See you next time!

Panthera! 

Final Component (Spinal Cord Assessment)

Hello again,

We are finally at the end of the last component, the spinal cord assessment.

Spinal Cord Assessment:
The spinal cord assessment (right and left function) material will be covered (Appendix E). Reviewing the content on the Appendices A-E, and assessing one level and the level below on the spinal cord assessment (SEE CHART) will be focused upon. There will be no need to do all levels for each patient since each patient’s level will vary. Re-examination, the depth, and frequency of the cognitive/neurological assessment will again be reviewed and summarized related to ThedaCare’s rehabilitation standard of care  (Cognitive/Neurological Assessment, Center for Rehabilitation, 2011). 

LEVEL	ASSESSMENT
C-3, 4, 5	Ask patient to take deep breath (diaphragm)
C-4	Ask patient to shrug shoulders (trapezius
C-5	Ask patient to abduct arm 90 degrees & bend elbow
C-6	Ask  patient to cock wrist up
C-7	Ask patient to straighten elbow (tricep)
C-8	Ask patient to touch fingertips to thumb; handgrasp
T-2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12	Ask patient to tighten abdominal muscles
L-1, 2, 3	Ask patient to bend at the hip
L-2, 3, 4	Ask patient to straighten the knee (quadriceps)
L-5, S-1	Ask patient to bend big toe toward head
S-2, 3, 4	Ask patient to tighten anal sphincter

                                                                    Reference

Cognitive/Neurological Assessment, Center for Rehabilitation.(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thedacare.org/ (intranet)

Next time we meet, we will discuss the teaching strategies that are involved.

As always,

Panthera!

Neurological Assessment

Hi All!

     The continuation of the last post, following the ears, eyes, nose and throat assessment will be the neurological assessment (Appendix D). Observation related to the neurological assessment should be an observation with no neurological deficits, or if the patient denies problems; documenting other findings may be needed. Material related to neurological deficits will be discussed, for example, observing the patient for an asymmetrical smile (1 side of mouth not equal to the other), blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, diplopia ( seeing a single object as 2 or double vision), left eye deviates downward, left eye deviates upward, left eye deviates left, left eye deviates right, left field cut, left hemianopsia (loss of ½ of a field of vision), left neglect, ptosis (drooping eyelid), right eye deviates downward, right eye deviates upward, right eye deviates left, right eye deviates right, right eye field cut, right hemianopsia, right neglect, tongue deviates left, tongue deviates right, or unequal hand grasps.   

     Material covered will also include types of seizure activity. Grand mal seizure (loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions); this type is triggered by low blood sugars or a stroke. Petit mal is a staring spell which last less than 15 seconds, and is known as an “absence seizure" (Cognitive/Neurological Assessment, Center for Rehabilitation, 2011). Monitoring the seizure and documenting the duration (time) and length of the seizure is important and this information can be given when the physician is contacted.

                                                               Appendix D 

Neurological Assessment:

Neurological: there should be no neurological deficits, the patient denies problems, although document other findings.

Neurological deficits: Observe patient for asymmetrical smile (1 side of mouth not equal to the other), blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, diplopia ( seeing a single object as 2 or double vision), left eye deviates downward, left eye deviates upward, left eye deviates left, left eye deviates right, left field cut, left hemianopsia ( loss of ½ of a field of vision), left neglect, ptosis (drooping eyelid), right eye deviates downward, right eye deviates upward, right eye deviates left, right eye deviates right, right eye field cut, right hemianopsia, right neglect, tongue deviates left, tongue deviates right, or unequal hand grasps.

Seizure activity:  grand mal (loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions); this type is triggered by low blood sugars or a stroke. Petit mal (staring spell which last less than 15 seconds; also known as an “absence seizure”).

Seizure duration (time): monitor and document the length of the seizure (Cognitive/Neurological Assessment, Center for Rehabilitation, 2011). 

                                                                         Reference

Cognitive/Neurological Assessment, Center for Rehabilitation, (2011). Retrieved from www.thedacare.org (intranet).

*If you have any questions thus far, please feel free to ask. I am interested in your comments and thoughts as well!

 Have a great day! . . Panthera!

Components of a Cognitive/Neuro Assessment

Nice to see you again. . . hope you're still with me!
The components of the cognitive/neurological assessment include:
the Cognitive Assessment, the E.E.N.T. Assessment, the Neurological Assessment,
the Spinal Cord Assessment, and the Rehabilitation Standard of Care (Appendix A).
The rationale is that it must be done within 2 hours of admission, BID reassessment, depth & frequency individualized according to the patients’ needs, care plan, nursing judgment, and physician’s orders (Cognitive/ Neurological Assessment, Center for Rehabilitation, 2011).
                                                                     Appendix A

Components of the Cognitive/Neurological Assessment:
·         Cognitive Assessment
·         E.E.N.T. Assessment
·         Neurological Assessment
·         Spinal Cord Assessment
·         Rehabilitation Standard of Care

Describing the standards of care (details)…must be done within 2 hours of admission, BID reassessment, depth & frequency individualized according to the patients’ needs, care plan, nursing judgment, and physician’s orders (Cognitive/ Neurological Assessment, Center for Rehabilitation, 2011). I will embed 3 videos, intermittently, so that they may guide all of you as we go through each component. They are fantastic videos! I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did. There are some good "common sense" items described in this first video. The first video is a Quick 5 Point Neuro check.
 
Demonstration of each of the five assessments will begin. Cognitive assessment (with co-worker) as it relates to the level of consciousness, the orientation level, and the cognitive/memory portion will be the first assessment to be demonstrated and discussed (Appendix B).

Level of consciousness means the nurses need to observe the patient for agitation, arouses to pain, arouses to touch, arouses to voice, if the patient is drowsy, if the patient falls asleep quickly, observe for lethargy, irritation, restlessness, unresponsiveness, if the patient is sleeping, if the patient has seizures or if the patient is pharmacologically paralyzed or sedated. Observing the orientation level, the patient might have trouble with or if the patient is disoriented to person, place, time and situation. Lastly, cognition will describe what the patient is capable of.
       For example, following simple commands, having poor attention/concentration, poor judgment, poor safety awareness, is impulsive, or have short term memory loss (immediate past… what did you have for supper tonight?), short term memory loss (recent past….what did you and your family do yesterday?), or long term memory loss (remote past….what was your last job?) (Cognitive/Neurological Assessment, Center for Rehabilitation, 2011).  Problem areas may arise when correctly performing an accurate assessment such as discomfort, early stages of Alzheimer’s disease or sedation/lethargy. Thorough initial assessments, history as well as interventions will alleviate some of the barrier areas. Explanations will be discussed related to nurses observing for change, whether it may be observing the level of orientation or the size and reaction of the pupils; such an observation usually requires immediate attention or intervention.
        Faster treatment leads to better outcomes for the patients! Assessment results depend on the individual nurses’ actions and his/her appropriate nursing interventions. Communication with other departments, for example, physical therapy or speech therapy is critical. The importance of collaboration with these departments as well as with family members will be presented (Cognitive/Neurological Assessment, Center for Rehabilitation, 2011).

                                                                      Appendix B

Cognitive Assessment:  How would you assess L.O.C.?

L.O.C.: observe patient for agitation, arouses to pain, arouses to touch, arouses to voice, if the patient is drowsy, if the patient falls asleep quickly, observe for lethargy, irritation, restlessness, unresponsiveness, if the patient is sleeping, if the patient has seizures or if the patient is pharmacologically paralyzed or sedated.

Orientation level: What might the patient have trouble with? Observe if patient is disoriented to person, disoriented to place, disoriented to time, disoriented to situation, disoriented X 4.

Cognition:  What is the patient capable of? Following simple commands, having poor attention/concentration, poor judgment, poor safety awareness, is impulsive, or have short term memory loss (immediate past… what did you have for supper tonight?), short term memory loss (recent past….what did you and your family do yesterday?), or long term memory loss (remote past….what was your last job?). (Cognitive/Neurological Assessment, Center for Rehabilitation). 
       The ears, eyes, nose and throat assessment will be the second assessment discussed (Appendix C).  One may observe the patient if the vision, hearing, and speech are intact or if the patient denies any problems. Material will cover observing the patient who has no difficulty with swallowing because if there is, choking is a high priority for an immediate intervention and collaboration with speech therapy is recommended. On the verbal level, nurses may observe if the patient has a delayed response. Material presented will discuss aphasia and observe if the patient is expressively aphasic (separated words...example: patient is trying to explain how he came to the hospital…yes, er...Monday, er.., wife and er...hospital and ah…Wednesday), globally aphasic (poor language comprehension as well as the inability to speak or write.
       They are often present with an awareness of their surroundings, and their feelings can be interpreted from their facial expressions and manual gestures), or receptive aphasic (difficult understanding what is being said, but one notices the patient speaks well). The speaker may have little comprehension of what is being said and observation is needed if the patient uses words which are not understood or if the patient uses mouth words. The patient may nod or use yes/no appropriately. Material will include if the patient has difficulty reading and/or must rely on written notes and if the patient wears glasses, contacts or neither. One may observe for slurred speech, if the patient has a tracheotomy or use a Passe-Muir valve.
      Lastly, material will be discussed related to an eye assessment, for example, observing if the patient does not focus with the eyes, observing for nystagmus (rhythmic, to-and-fro movements; generally involuntary), or observing if the peripheral vision is absent. Demonstration and discussion will include pupil sizes, shapes, and reactions (Cognitive/Neurological Assessment, Center for Rehabilitation, 2011).

                                                                    Appendix C

E.E.N.T. Assessment:

E.E.N.T.  Is the vision, hearing, & speech intact? Does he/she deny any problems? Observe patient if there is no difficulty with swallowing

Verbal level: Does the patient have a delayed response? Is the patient expressively aphasic (disjointed words..example: patient is trying to explain how he came to the hospital…yes, er ..Monday, er.., wife and er..hospital and ah… Wednesday),  globally aphasic (poor language comprehension as well as the inability to speak or write. They are often present with an awareness of their surroundings, and their feelings can be interpreted from their facial expressions and manual gestures), or receptive aphasic (difficult understanding what is being said, but one notices he/she speaks well.

     The speaker has little comprehension of what he/she is saying? Does the patient use (incomprehensible words), words which are not understood? Does the patient use mouth words? Does the patient nod or use yes/no appropriately? Does the patient have difficulty reading and/or rely on written notes? Does the patient have slurred speech? Does he or she have a tracheotomy or use a Passe-Muir valve?

Visual aids: Does the patient wear glasses, contacts or neither?

Eye assessment: Observe if patient does not focus and/or track with eyes, observe for nystagmus (rhythmic, to-and-fro movements; generally involuntary), observe if the peripheral vision is absent.

Right & Left pupil size: 1 mm, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm

Right & Left pupil shape: R=Round, O=Oval, I=Irregular or disfigured

Right & left pupil reaction: POS=Positive, NEG=No Reaction, B=Brisk, S=Sluggish, C=Closed, O= Not Observed (Cognitive/Neurological Assessment, Center for Rehabilitation, 2011).  
I will add the second video performed by nursing  students. It was nicely done! 
         

I think there is enough material here to absorb for now. I hope the videos will clarify some areas of concern some of you may have.               
                                                                  Reference

Cognitive/Neurological Assessment, Center for Rehabilitation, (2011). Retrieved from www.thedacare.org (intranet).
Talk to you later. . . Panthera!

Objectives

Hi Everyone,

As explained earlier, objectives would be discussed. The learning objectives for this teaching plan were generated by using the guidelines of Bloom’s taxonomy reviewed by Overbaugh and Schultz (Overbaugh & Schultz, n.d.).

·         Define what the Cognitive/Neurological Assessment is.

·          Explain the concept of the program/reason for the training.

·          Demonstrate the cognitive assessment (with co-worker) as it relates to the level of consciousness, the orientation level, and the cognitive/memory portion.

·         Illustrate the ears, eyes, nose and throat assessment (with co-worker) as it relates to the verbal stage, and the reaction, size, and shape of the pupils.

·          Demonstrate the neurological assessment (with co-worker) as it relates to swallow, smile symmetry, tongue deviation, neglect, diplopia, blurred vision, hand grasps, eye deviation, seizure activity, and reflexes (ulnar and patellar).

·         Demonstrate the spine sensory assessment (with co-worker) as it relates to sensory levels, generalized with decreased numbness, para, quad, tingling, observation, spinal cord injury function, (S.C.I.).

Benjamin Bloom (1956) identified three types of learning related to educational activities:

Cognitive: mental skills (Knowledge), Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (Attitude), and Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (Skills). This taxonomy of learning behaviors can be thought of as “the goals of the learning process.” After a learning experience, the learner should have acquired new skills, knowledge, and/or attitudes, (Bloom, 1956, para.3). These three domains will focus directly on the teaching/learning plan for a cognitive-neurological assessment.

                                                                   Learning Resources

Resources that nurses should read and review can be found in (Appendices: A, B, C, D, E). I will include those later. The rationale for its selection is because nurses are already familiar with the cognitive/neurological assessment as evidenced by using it on a daily basis, especially on the (specialized) Inpatient Neurological Rehabilitation unit. The neurological assessment is directly selected and found at the ThedaCare’s website (intranet). The assessment is mostly complete with the exception of any assessment related to cranial nerves.

The summary of information presented will begin with the definition of the Cognitive/Neurological Assessment and the reason for the training. The rationale for this information given is the variation in the way staff is performing the cognitive/neurological assessment, some of the staff have verbalized concern with the variation and asked for a review. Performance objectives will be reviewed, and the rationale for the performance objectives is that R.N’s and L.P.N.’s will verbalize the understanding of the assessment. Simulation with a co-worker will be created and nurses will have a satisfactory completion of it. The rationale for a satisfactory completion of the simulation will provide results whether or not the nurses will have the knowledge and understanding of the assessment, thus, being fully competent of the skill. In addition, the survey results will be discussed. The survey will be retrieved and created from the website of surveymonkey.com (Surveymonkey, n.d.). Again, I will present this later. The rationale for the survey results is that it will illustrate the most difficult components of the assessment, and these problem areas can be corrected through the staff’s education training session. The next item discussed in the upcoming blog will be listing the components of the assessment and description of the standards of care.  Any questions, thus far?

See you all, next time! Panthera

                                                             References

 Bloom’s Taxonomy. (1956). Retrieved from    http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm

Overbaugh, R.C., & Schultz, L. (n.d.). Bloom’s taxonomy. Retrieved from http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm

Survey. (n.d.).  Retrieved from www.surveymonkey.com

Welcome Everyone!

  This blog will exhibit staff development representing a purposeful topic, The Cognitive/Neuro Assessment: Problematic Concerns and Corrective Measures. The blog will act as an online enhancement to the material presented. The rationale for blogs acting as an enhancement is because they can help us learn with the sharing of others’ knowledge as evidenced by the blog, “100 Essential Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers. It categorizes tools according to their capacity for fostering interactivity, engagement, motivation, empowerment, and differentiated learning,” (Bradshaw & Lowenstein, 2011, p.331).

This topic encourages thought and discussion, identifies one’s current viewpoint as well as staff demonstrating the competency correctly. The topic was chosen because it appeared that all nurses were not doing these assessments correctly and many nurses were voicing their concern. Teaching and reviewing the cognitive/neurological assessment, all nurses will be able to perform it correctly. The setting of choice for a teaching experience will be staff education in a training/learning lab. This teaching plan would be developed for target audiences who are the nurses who care for the neurological patient. Performing such an assessment is necessary for nurses who care for the neurological patient in a variety of clinical settings, not only in a specialized unit (in an Inpatient Neurological Rehabilitation Unit).  

The objective is to describe and correctively perform a cognitive/neurological assessment. The rationale for performing this assessment is evidenced by assessment consistency which is the key to identifying changes in a patient’s status and identifying changes early which leads to faster treatment. Faster treatment leads to better outcomes for the patients (Rehabilitation Standard of Care, 2011). In both men and women in the United States, stroke is the leading cause of disability and is credited as the third highest cause of death (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010).

We will also explore and apply different instructional technologies in designing several components which will be used for this staff development session as well as for any other courses offered. There are many, many resources available out there in CyperLand (smile) to rely on, whether it is for employment or likewise. “When emerging technologies, students experience each one as a different tool; a different place to go to do coursework, a different interface to learn,” and so forth (Bradshaw & Lowenstein, 2011, p. 333). We will discuss the learning objectives of our topic during our next visit.
See you soon!. . . Panthera 

                                                         References

Bradshaw, M.  J., & Lowenstein, A.  J. (2011). Innovative teaching strategies in nursing and health professions (5th Ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). Stroke facts. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/stroke/facts.htm

Rehabilitation Standard of Care. (2011). Retrieved from www.thedacare.org (intranet)