Fundamentals of Nursing Q 76
Examples of patients suffering from impaired awareness include all of the following except:
A. A semiconscious or over fatigued patient.
B. A disoriented or confused patient.
C. A patient who cannot care for himself at home.
D. A patient demonstrating symptoms of drugs or alcohol withdrawal.
Correct Answer: C. A patient who cannot care for himself at home
A patient who cannot care for himself at home does not necessarily have impaired awareness; he may simply have some degree of immobility.
Option A: Fatigue is the feeling of tiredness and decreased energy that results from inadequate sleep time or poor quality of sleep. Fatigue can also result from increased work intensity or long work hours. Sleep deprivation has long been known to impair various cognitive functions, including mood, motivation, response time, and initiative. In a classic review of sleep deprivation and decision-making, investigators argued that effective performance in health care environments requires naturalistic decision-making and situation awareness.
Option B: Impaired self-awareness of deficits is a common finding in patients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury. Impaired awareness can limit motivation for treatment and contribute to a poor outcomes. Consequently, it is important for brain injury rehabilitation professionals to understand this phenomenon and utilize treatment approaches that may improve patient awareness.
Option D: Most alcoholics exhibit mild-to-moderate deficiencies in intellectual functioning, along with diminished brain size and regional changes in brain-cell activity. The most prevalent alcohol-associated brain impairments affect visuospatial abilities and higher cognitive functioning. Visuospatial abilities include perceiving and remembering the relative locations of objects in 2- and 3-dimensional space. Examples include driving a car or assembling a piece of furniture based on instructions contained in a line drawing. Higher cognitive functioning includes the abstract-thinking capabilities needed to organize a plan, set it in motion, and change it as needed.