Completing a neurological trend record
RN OSCE practice station

The task

Andrew Cole is on a surgical ward after a head injury requiring neurological observation. The current record has a blank assessment row. Assess and complete the neurological row, recognise any change and document escalation and the response. The patient is a manikin; address the patient and the examiner voices their answers and supplies findings. Dr Taylor Singh is reachable by phone. RN Alex Morgan is available.

What this station tests

• A blank observation row requires a current assessment, not copying a previous value.
• Record GCS components and total with the observation time.
• “Doctor aware” is incomplete without the response, interim plan and next responsibility.

Sources for the clinical content

• Healthdirect: Head injuries
• ACSQHC: Communicating for Safety Standard
• ACSQHC: Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration Standard

An original practice scenario with invented patients. Not an exam question.

Practise next

• Correcting an observation entry safely
• Completing a home fluid balance summary
• Documenting symptomatic low blood glucose
• Recording a resident’s declined medicine
• A glucose chart entry that does not match the meter