Nursing Reflection on Endotracheal Intubation for Traumatic Brain Injury Patients

This nursing reflection is based on personal experience and discusses the importance of endotracheal intubation for traumatic brain injury patients. It highlights the need for proper training of nursing professionals and cites evidence-based practice to support the importance of endotracheal intubation. The article also discusses the potential risks associated with improper installation of the endotracheal tube.

Running head: NURSING REFLECTION
Nursing Reflection
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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NURSING REFLECTION
The following reflection is based on my personal experience while I was working as a
trainee in the emergency ward in a state run hospital during my undergraduate course. During
my training session, I encountered a patient who has suffered brain injury following a road
accident. The patient was bought sub-conscious in the emergency ward in the hospital which
blood oozing out from the middle part of the head. The MRI results (magnetic resonance
imagining) revealed that patient suffered from brain injury. In order to handle the traumatic
brain injury of the patient (TBI), the reporting doctor proposed for endotracheal intubation.
According to the evidence-based practise, aggressive emergent airway management is an
important aspect for TBI (Lumb, 2016). The endotracheal intubation helps in establishing an
airway and thereby preventing the chances of the secondary brain injury arising out of
hypoxia or hypotension. Endotracheal intubation is a process by which a tube is inserted
through the mouth of the patient up to the trachea. This endotracheal tube helps in
establishing proper supply of oxygen to the brain via maintaining airway patency and also
helps to prevent the aspiration into the lungs. The study conducted by Vourc’h et al (2015)
highlighted that endotracheal intubation helps to increase the overall oxygen saturation in the
body and thereby helping to prevent acute hypoxic condition. The randomized control trial
conducted by Semler et al. (2016) highlighted the endotracheal intubation helps to improve
the apneic oxygenation among the critically ill patients and thereby helping to maintain the
oxygen saturation within the body. However Prekker et al. (2014) highlighted that proper
training of the nursing professionals must be undertaken for successful installation of the
endotracheal tube. This is because, lack of proper training might result in misplacement of the
endotracheal tube which might prove to be detrimental for the patients.

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NURSING REFLECTION
References
Lumb, A. B. (2016). Nunn's applied respiratory physiology eBook. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Prekker, M. E., Kwok, H., Shin, J., Carlbom, D., Grabinsky, A., & Rea, T. D. (2014). The
process of prehospital airway management: challenges and solutions during
paramedic endotracheal intubation. Critical care medicine, 42(6), 1372.
Semler, M. W., Janz, D. R., Lentz, R. J., Matthews, D. T., Norman, B. C., Assad, T. R., ... &
Kocurek, E. G. (2016). Randomized trial of apneic oxygenation during endotracheal
intubation of the critically ill. American journal of respiratory and critical care
medicine, 193(3), 273-280.
Vourc’h, M., Asfar, P., Volteau, C., Bachoumas, K., Clavieras, N., Egreteau, P. Y., ... & Prat,
G. (2015). High-flow nasal cannula oxygen during endotracheal intubation in
hypoxemic patients: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Intensive care
medicine, 41(9), 1538-1548.