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Your head trauma patient bounces back and seems fine after an epidural bleed and temporary loss of consciousness, but lapses into a profound coma — all in a matter of minutes. Your elderly Alzheimer’s patient has gone from confused to aphasic, and suddenly can’t move her left side. Both these scenarios illustrate the importance of performing a quick neurological assessment in the ED, says Teri Howick, RN, nurse educator for the ED at McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, UT.

Be creative teaching nurses to do neuro assessments