Rehabilitation post concussion syndrome in mild traumatic brain injury: Nurse’s role

Abstract

Post concussion syndrome (PCS) is symptoms that follow mild traumatic brain injury. Commonly, PCS is recovering within 7-14 days after concussion but some patent had prolonged symptoms that base on individual risk factors such as age, gender or the number of concussions. PCS has effect to patent’s functional status after discharge. The PCS rehabilitation can reduce symptoms and prolong symptoms. Therefore, the nurses play an important role in helping the patients recovering from PCS. The nurses, then do apply the nursing process in taking care of the PCS patients during admission until discharge. The nursing process consisted of 4 related actions: 1) assessment of the patients’ symptoms at first admitted including risk factors, 2) identifying the patients’ problems and needs, normally using the term “nursing diagnosis”, 3) providing nursing intervention to promote restoring the patient’s brain functions such as physical rest, cognitive rest, health education and symptoms management and 4) nursing evaluation such as symptoms assessment and knowledge before discharge the patients.