The nurse is assessing the neurologic status of a patient wh…
The nurse is assessing the neurologic status of a patient who has a documented upper motor neuron lesion (UMN). With the reflex hammer, the nurse draws a light stroke up the lateral side of the sole of the foot and inward, across the ball of the foot. In response, the patient’s toes fan out, and the big toe shows dorsiflexion. The nurse interprets this result as: