The nurse is performing the corneal light reflex as part of an eye assessment. Which actions are necessary? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply

Question

1. Shine a penlight into the patient's eyes.
2. Observe the location of a light reflection in the patient's pupils.
3. Touch the cornea lightly with a cotton wisp.
4. Observe for blinking.
5. Look for a whitening of the red reflex.

Answer 1

1,2
Rationale 1: The nurse shines a light source into the patient's eyes.
Rationale 2: The nurse observes where a light reflects in the pupils. The light should strike both eyes in approximately the same place.
Rationale 3: Corneal light reflex does not include touching the eye.
Rationale 4: Blinking is not considered when eliciting corneal light reflex.
Rationale 5: Whitening of the red reflex is observed with a positive Bruckner test.