Traumatic Brain Injuries When working with a patient that has endured traumatic brain injury, there are certain ways that things should be conducted. Traumatic brain injuries can vary drastically. Some people may suffer only slight problems, while others may be severely affected. Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries A person that suffered a minor head injury may have some or all of the following symptoms -
Some forgetfulness, perhaps needing reminders, but will usually remembers when reminded.
May have a slightly different personality than prior to the brain injury Often has a blank stare. This can be the brain somewhat rebooting. May be more sexually explicit, very common among brain injury sufferers. Severe Traumatic Brain Injuries - May have lost physical functions. Often has to be re-trained to walk, talk, handle objects, and to eat. - May suffer from extreme depression - Can easily become dependent on narcotic drugs - Often, with a traumatic brain injury the patient is argumentative; caretakers may have to ignore much of what is being said. TBI patients may have lost much of their ability to control anger and outbursts. Related: Healthy Cafeteria Alternatives to Consider Reporters Road to Recovery - Bob Woodruff worked for ABC and was covering the war when his convoy was hit. He had some protective gear on, however, his head, neck, and shoulders were exposed. Bob was injured so severely that the doctors told his wife he would not survive. Bob sustained a traumatic brain injury and was hospitalized for months prior to going to rehab. Bob said that some of the time he was hospitalized everyone assumed he could not hear or comprehend, but in fact he could. He said when he was able to, he told the nurses to always assume the patient is listening, even when they appear to be in a coma, he knows first hand its possible. Each day
was a struggle for him, Bob said he would know what walking was, and what he needed to do to accomplish it, yet he was unable to put one foot in front of the other to do it. He said at times he was so frustrated he wanted to give up. Bob credits the nurses and physical therapy staff for his recovery, saying they never gave up on him even after he gave up on himself. Bob Woodruff brought traumatic brain injury in the media, where it gained much attention. Today Bob visits rehab centers and hospitals to talk about his ordeal. 13 months after his injury he returned to journalism. A traumatic brain injury patient has endured an injury to the head. They may be unable to function properly, yet they know how to. This can be very frustrating for the patient, imagine reaching for something and with each reach it gets further away. This is similar to what a person with a traumatic brain injury goes through, they may tell their hand to raise up, yet it won't comply. This can often make a patient somewhat hard to work with, their frustration and anger may build up and may be taken out on the first available person in their line of sight. The one thing to keep in mind when working with a patient with a TBI is, don’t take it personally when they are upset. Related: Retiring From a Nursing Career Depending on the location of the brain injury, if the frontal lobe has been injured, it may alter their normal judgments and impulse control. That portion of the brain is responsible for helping impulse control, judgment, and decision making. Until the brain is fully healed, the patient may not be able to make good and safe decisions for them. It is usually recommended that a family member or close friend help with decision making until the patient has full regained their faculties. Working with traumatic brain injury patients may be a lengthy process, some patients are hospitalized for months. Patience is something that you may be tested on, however, as the patient improves, their impulse control, demeanor, and overall state of mind will improve. Once their overall health has improved, they will most likely be moved to a rehabilitation facility to continue to improve. The goal is to restore every TBI patient back to 100%, however that is unrealistic. Currently statistics are-
TBI patients recover 100% Patients recover 80% Patients recover 50%
- 30-40% chance - 70% chance - 40% chance
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Patients don’t recover at all
- 30-40% chance
For more information on Traumatic Brain Injuries, visit reputable websites and speak with knowledgeable healthcare professionals. Related: Leading Registered Nurse, Linda K. Tilley, RN, will be Announced in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter