Neurocritical Patients: Review of the Scope of Nursing Diagnoses and Care in the Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Objective To identify the diagnoses and nursing care for neurocritical patients in the intensive care unit. Method This is a scope review study, based on the Joanna Briggs Institute, led by the following guiding question: what are the diagnoses and nursing care for neurocritical patients in the intensive care unit? Data collection was carried out in February 2022 in a paired manner, in the following databases: EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed, and SCOPUS. For sample selection, the following search strategy was used: “Neurology” AND “Nursing Care” OR “Nursing Diagnosis” AND “Critical Care.” Studies were independently selected, blinded by two reviewers. Result It was possible to identify 854 studies, which after analysis by title and abstract, only 27 articles passed the eligibility, of which 10 were part of this review. Conclusion According to the analysis of the studies, it was found that nursing care, combined with a care plan for neurocritical patients, allows for better results, with a view to the quality of life and health promotion.

Developing Systems of Emergency and Inpatient Neurologic Care in Resource-Limited Settings

“…Well-trained nurses play a pivotal role as primary caregivers, often being the first to identify potential signs of neurological deterioration and recognizing the need for timely life-saving interventions. 100 However, achieving this level of care is primarily feasible in HICs, where nurses can maintain lower nurse-to-patient ratios. Conversely, in LMICs, limited resources result in high patient-to-nurse ratios, leading to heavier workloads and reduced time for focused comprehensive monitoring, thus impeding the early detection of neurological deterioration.…”