Final answer:
A patient with a cervix dilated to 5 cm is in the first stage of labor, where the cervix is thinning and dilating.
Step-by-step explanation:
A patient whose cervix is dilated to 5 cm is considered to be in the first stage of labor. The first stage of labor is characterized by the thinning and dilation of the cervix. The cervix will eventually dilate to about 10 cm before the second stage, which is when the baby is expelled from the uterus.