Emergency Nurse’s Acute Agitation Management in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury at Thawatburi Hospital

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the management patterns of acute confusion among patients with traumatic brain injury provided by emergency nurses and to examine the levels of acute confusion before and after management. A descriptive study design was employed. The sample consisted of 30 patients with acute confusion following traumatic brain injury who were admitted to the emergency department and selected using purposive sampling. Research instruments comprised three parts: (1) a patient data record form covering general characteristics and injury-related information, (2) the Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS) used to assess levels of acute confusion before and after management, and (3) an observation form documenting the management of acute confusion by emergency nurses. Three experts validated all instruments, yielding a content validity index of 1.00, and the observation form demonstrated an inter-rater reliability of 0.86. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The results showed that all patients with traumatic brain injury received acute confusion management by emergency nurses according to the severity of confusion. Before management, most patients exhibited moderate to severe levels of acute confusion. After management, the number of patients without acute confusion increased, while those with severe acute confusion decreased. These findings provide baseline evidence for developing clinical guidelines for managing acute confusion in patients with traumatic brain injury and for enhancing the competencies of emergency nurses in delivering appropriate and effective care.