Discuss how the Glasgow Coma Scale is utilized in determining neurologic status and the nursing interventions related to prevention of further injury in the patient with brain injury.

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a neurological scale used to measure the level of consciousness in patients who have suffered from traumatic brain injury. It consists of three tests: eye opening, verbal response, and motor response. Each test is rated on a scale from 1-4 with 4 being the best possible score and 1 indicating no response. A total score of 3-15 is calculated with lower scores representing more severe brain injuries.

Nurses play an essential role in assessing neurologic status using the GCS as well as providing interventions aimed at preventing further injury or complications for these individuals. This includes monitoring vital signs regularly, closely observing any changes in behavior or cognition, initiating seizure precautions if appropriate, maintaining adequate hydration levels and nutrition status through enteral feeds or tube feeding when necessary, and recognizing any signs of increasing intracranial pressure (ICP). Additionally nurses should also be prepared to administer medications such as osmotic diuretics to reduce ICP if needed along with educating family members about any potential threats posed by the patient’s condition.