You Can Save a Life: Reporting a Change in Mental Status to Ensure Prompt Treatment

Order# CE648
Content by Elizabeth Galik, PhD, CRNP
and Ann A. Scheve, MS, RN
University of Maryland School of Nursing

18 minutes
clinical vignettes
$150 purchase; $75 rental

The first sign of a life threatening illness among long-term care residents is often a subtle change in mental status. Geriatric Nursing assistants are in the best position to alert the health care team to this under-recognized and deteriorating disorder, also called delirium.

Staff may not report a change in mental status; however, they have experience in recognizing changes in patterns of residents' function and behavior. Empower your staff to have confidence in their ability to identify, communicate, and intervene.