In NU333 Unit 8, a neurological note works from mental status to gait on a composite older adult whose feet have lost sensation, every scale and untested item named. Searches like "nu 333 unit 8 assignment example", "nu333 unit 8 sample" and "nu333 unit 8 example" land here.
Neurological Assessment Note: Burning Feet, a Near-Fall in the Dark and a Positive Romberg
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
NU333: Health Assessment for the Nursing Professional
Unit 8 Assignment
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
Composite patient written as a model document. Findings are composite.
The Complaints
She has had type 2 diabetes for 18 years. For about a year her feet have burned at night, worse under the sheets. Two weeks ago, on a dark trip down the hall at night, she lost her balance and caught herself on the doorframe. She has not fallen in daylight. Her last A1C was 8.4 percent.
Mental Status
Awake and attentive; she knows who and where she is, the date, and why she came; speech clear and fluent. Mini-Cog 5 of 5 (Borson et al., 2000).
Cranial Nerves
I: not tested. II: acuity 20/30 both eyes with glasses; fields full to confrontation. III, IV, VI: pupils equal and reactive; eye movements full. V: facial sensation intact; jaw strength equal. VII: face symmetric. VIII: whispered voice heard both sides. IX, X: palate rises evenly; voice normal. XI: shoulder shrug equal. XII: tongue midline.
Motor
Normal bulk and tone. Strength 5 of 5 throughout, on the 0 to 5 scale, except ankle dorsiflexion 4+ of 5 on both sides. No pronator drift.
Sensory
Light touch: intact above the ankles. Monofilament: the 10-gram monofilament was not felt at six of ten plantar sites on each foot. Loss of protective sensation on monofilament testing is a key part of the diabetic foot examination (Boulton et al., 2008). Vibration: 128-hertz tuning fork diminished at both great toes, normal at the ankles. Position sense: impaired at both great toes. The losses map in a stocking pattern below the ankles, and the pattern carries more information than any single test.
Reflexes
On the 0 to 4+ scale: biceps 2+, triceps 2+, patellar 2+ on both sides; Achilles 0 on both sides.
Coordination and Balance
Finger-to-nose intact on both sides. Romberg positive: steady with eyes open, swaying within ten seconds with eyes closed. Timed Up and Go 14 seconds (Podsiadlo & Richardson, 1991).
Interpretation and Reporting
Findings are consistent with distal sensory loss in both feet, in a pattern typical of peripheral neuropathy, with lost position sense explaining the sway with eyes closed and the near-fall in the dark (Bickley et al., 2021). Reported to the provider with the fall risk, and a nightlight for the path to the bathroom was discussed with her. She was also shown how to check her feet each evening with a mirror, since she may not feel a blister or a cut.
References
Bickley, L. S., Szilagyi, P. G., Hoffman, R. M., & Soriano, R. P. (2021). Bates' guide to physical examination and history taking (13th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Borson, S., Scanlan, J., Brush, M., Vitaliano, P., & Dokmak, A. (2000). The Mini-Cog: A cognitive "vital signs" measure for dementia screening in multi-lingual elderly. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 15(11), 1021-1027. https://doi.org/10.1002/1099-1166(200011)15:11<1021::AID-GPS234>3.0.CO;2-6
Boulton, A. J. M., Armstrong, D. G., Albert, S. F., Frykberg, R. G., Hellman, R., Kirkman, M. S., Lavery, L. A., LeMaster, J. W., Mills, J. L., Mueller, M. J., Sheehan, P., & Wukich, D. K. (2008). Comprehensive foot examination and risk assessment. Diabetes Care, 31(8), 1679-1685. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc08-9021
Podsiadlo, D., & Richardson, S. (1991). The timed "Up & Go": A test of basic functional mobility for frail elderly persons. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 39(2), 142-148. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.1991.tb01616.x
How this NU333 Unit 8 example is structured
The note follows the textbook order, mental status through gait, so that nothing is skipped and every untested element is visible as untested. Each subsection names its scale or tool: the Mini-Cog for cognition, the 0 to 5 scale for strength, the 0 to 4+ scale for reflexes. Sensory findings are mapped by distribution, a stocking pattern below the ankles, because the pattern carries more information than any single test. The positive Romberg is interpreted cautiously: steady with eyes open, swaying with them closed, which points to lost position sense rather than a cerebellar problem, and the intact finger-to-nose supports that reading. The timed up and go links the neurological findings to the near-fall that brought her in. Interpretation stays within assessment, findings consistent with distal sensory loss, and a reporting line names the provider and the fall risk.
Get an NU333 Unit 8 example written to your instructions
A mental status exam alone, or cranial nerves, motor, sensory, reflexes and gait as well? The Unit 8 prompt decides, so send it with the rubric and the form in use. Every scale in the composite note is named and every untested item marked, while a volunteer's real findings are the student's to write. First sample free, 24-48h. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
NU333 Unit 8 questions, answered
What is the Mini-Cog?
A brief cognitive screen combining a three-word recall task with a clock drawing. Each recalled word scores one point and a normal clock scores two, for a total of five. Lower scores suggest the need for further evaluation, though the screen does not diagnose dementia. It takes about three minutes, which makes it practical in assessment courses and clinic visits.
How are deep tendon reflexes graded?
Usually on a 0 to 4+ scale: 0 absent, 1+ diminished, 2+ normal, 3+ brisker than average, and 4+ very brisk, often with clonus. Record each reflex tested, left and right, and name the scale. Symmetry matters as much as the number, and absent ankle reflexes are common in older adults and in peripheral neuropathy.
What does a positive Romberg test mean?
The person stands steadily with eyes open but loses balance when the eyes close. It suggests the brain has been relying on vision to replace lost position sense from the legs, as in some neuropathies. A person unsteady even with eyes open has a different problem. Document exactly what happened in each condition and stand close enough to prevent a fall.