Neurological assessment in children and young people

Nurses completing a structured assessment will consider the neurological status of their patient. This is the ‘D’ for ‘disability’ in the ABCDE algorithm taught in professional health settings. That is, issues related to neurological function, which in turn disable the individual in some manner. Generally, this relates to consciousness, which is the earliest and most sensitive indicator of change in neurological status (Hickey, 2013). If concerns are raised, assessment will include observations that indicate the function and status of an individual's nervous system.

Neurological observations should only be performed by appropriately competent staff and must be recorded accurately (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), 2017). The frequency of neurological observations will be informed by the condition of the patient and reviewed regularly by a registered practitioner (NICE, 2017). Professional knowledge, judgement and policy, will influence the frequency of this assessment, which can be as regular as every 15 minutes (Derbyshire and Hill, 2018). Any neurological deterioration must be reported promptly as support and intervention may be required.