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Delusions
Delusions are a patient's irrational and fixed false beliefs. The patient with this abnormality may believe that he or she is the almighty, creator, ruler, God, or a god. Obsessions are unwanted, recurrent, and persistent thoughts or impulses that are intrusive and senseless. With obsessions the patients know the thoughts are not real, whereas patients with delusions truly believe the delusions are real. Compulsions are unwanted repetitive behaviors (not beliefs) that are performed to prevent discomfort or a dreaded situation. Excessive worrying about one's own health and feeling sick without any underlying physical problem indicate that the patient has hypochondriasis.
What are the 4 main components of a mental status exam?
Structured Examination of Cognitive Abilities.
Attention. The testing of attention is a more refined consideration of the state of wakefulness than level of consciousness. ... .
Language. ... .
Memory. ... .
Constructional Ability and Praxis..
How should you assess a patient's mental status?
Patient rapport is essential to obtaining a thorough assessment..
Level of consciousness. Is the patient aware of his surroundings?.
Attention. ... .
Memory. ... .
Cognitive ability. ... .
Affect and mood. ... .
Probable cause of the present condition..
Which finding would be seen in a patient with aphasia?
Patients with thalamic aphasia usually present with fluent language disorders, often without hemiparesis. Associated findings include anomia, jargon speech, semantic paraphasic errors, intact repetition, and relatively preserved comprehension.
Which criteria would the nurse use to assess the mental status of a patient?
The mental status exam should include the general awareness and responsiveness of the patient. Additionally, one may also include the orientation, intelligence, memory, judgment, and thought process of the patient. At the same time, the patient's behavior and mood should undergo assessment.