A Patient Is Admitted to the Unit After an Automobile

Multiple Choice

A patient is admitted to the unit after an automobile accident. The nurse begins the mental status examination and finds that the patient has dysarthric speech and is lethargic. How should the nurse proceed?

A) Defer the rest of the mental status examination.
B) Skip the language portion of the examination and proceed onto assessing mood and affect.
C) Conduct an in-depth speech evaluation and defer the mental status examination to another time.
D) Proceed with the examination and assess the patient for suicidal thoughts because dysarthria is often accompanied by severe depression.