Keywords

Agitation, Agitated Behavior Scale, traumatic brain injury

 

Authors

  1. Wilson, Helen John DNP

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to implement an Agitated Behavior Scale through an electronic health record and to evaluate the usability of the scale in a brain injury unit at a rehabilitation hospital.

 

Design: A quality improvement project was conducted in the brain injury unit at a large rehabilitation hospital with registered nurses as participants using convenience sampling.

 

Methods: The project consisted of three phases and included education, implementation of the scale in the electronic health record, and administration of the survey questionnaire, which utilized the system usability scale.

 

Findings: The Agitated Behavior Scale was found to be usable, and there was 92.2% compliance with the use of the electronic Electronic Agitated Behavior Scale.

 

Conclusion: The Agitated Behavior Scale was effectively implemented in the electronic health record and was found to be usable in the assessment of agitation.

 

Clinical Relevance: Utilization of the scale through the electronic health record on a daily basis will allow for an early identification of agitation in patients with traumatic brain injury and enable prompt interventions to manage agitation.