What documentation is required if a patient awakens to a loud voice?

The scenario involves assessing a patient’s responsiveness using the AVPU scale, which is a quick method to evaluate a patient’s level of consciousness. When a patient awakens to a loud voice, this indicates that they are responsive to verbal stimuli, thus categorized under 'V' for "verbal" on the AVPU scale.

Documenting the patient as 'V' shows that they react to verbal cues, reflecting an important aspect of their neurological status. This provides essential information for the healthcare team regarding the patient's current level of consciousness, which can be crucial for ongoing assessments and treatment decisions. Proper documentation not only aids continuity of care but also helps in tracking the patient’s progress.

Marking the patient as 'A' would imply they are alert and can respond appropriately without stimulation, while 'P' suggests the patient has a response to pain but not verbal stimuli, both of which would be inaccurate in this context. Therefore, documenting as 'V' accurately captures the patient's level of consciousness.