title: Back to basics.
abstract: As nurses, we are constantly bombarded by new technology, disguised as adjuncts to patient assessments. These are often time consuming, carrying us further away from our prime responsibility--our client. In this paper I hope to reacquaint ourselves with the most valuable assessment "tool" we possess and expand on how we can use it in our daily care. This tool is portable, has a long life span and has the capacity for increasing its capabilities. It is continuously upgraded, evaluated and calibrated. You've guessed by now--ourselves; our education, experience and problem solving abilities. To use this resource to its greatest potential requires a sound knowledge of neurological assessment and the ability to recognize abnormalities.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Beveridge
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D013677:Medical Laboratory Science; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009736:Nursing Process