Alert and Oriented?

Nursing Students Student Assist

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Ok...I had a pt yesterday...my pt was alert and oriented x2 at least but I have a question on oriented to time. My pt would confuse time. For example say something happened on Wed (but meant Monday). They were consistent on the days. For example always say that it happened on Wed (Monday) and know that it happened 2 days previous. They kept saying they were behind on time. When I would say that today was Wed they'd say oh yeah I mean Monday. Would this be x 2 or x 3 because they knew the diff in days. I'm think x 2 but I had other people say x 3 I just wanted some clarification/explanation. Thanks.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Hospice.

If they didn't know what day it was, then I'd say x2.

Specializes in LTC, Nursing Management, WCC.

If I have patients that struggle with time then I will ask additional "time" questions. Half the time I don't know what day it is :) We were taught to start current and go backwards.

I tend to be a little "flexible" with the time thing -- esp. if people have been in the hospital for a while. The days do all tend to look alike and run together in the hospital, so it just makes sense that it's harder to keep track. If someone knows the month and year correctly, and is "in the ballpark" with the day, I usually call that good enough.

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