How Do Nurses Assess Cognition in Adults With Neurological Conditions? A Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Gerontology
• Nursing Science

Background:

• Neurological cognitive problems are increasingly prevalent in the aging population, with numbers expected to triple by 2050.
• Early detection in rehabilitation settings is crucial for managing cognitive changes and providing appropriate care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate cognitive assessments used for patients with neurological conditions in current nursing practice.
• To identify gaps in cognitive assessment tools within various healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review following the Arksey and O'Malley method.
• Searched PubMed, Ovid Medline, and CINAHL databases for articles published between 2017 and 2023.
• Evaluated 24 articles across acute care, outpatient, community, and long-term care settings.

Main Results:

• The Mini-Mental State Examination is the most common tool, except in long-term care.
• Most cognitive assessment tools primarily capture memory, neglecting other domains like executive functioning and processing speed.
• A gap exists in capturing the full spectrum of cognitive function.

Conclusions:

• Rehabilitation nurses must recognize contextual nuances when selecting cognitive function measurement tools.
• The nursing profession needs to enhance its standardized vocabulary to better capture cognitive domains.
• Improved assessment tools and vocabulary are essential for accurate cognitive evaluation in diverse clinical environments.