Overview
Introduction
When a patient’s level of consciousness shifts, the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) gives the bedside nurse an objective, reproducible language to describe what the patient is doing an...
When a patient’s level of consciousness shifts, the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) gives the bedside nurse an objective, reproducible language to describe what the patient is doing and why it matters. In Canadian acute‑care settings the RN is responsible for performing the assessment at set intervals, recording each component, spotting a rapid decline, and acting before the brain injury worsens. Mastery of the scale therefore links assessment directly to two non‑negotiable actions: securing the airway when the score is 8 or less, and calling for emergent neuro‑imaging when the score drops by two points or a pupil change occurs.