Traumatic Brain Injury: From Coma to Independence

Traumatic Brain Injury: From Coma to Independence is organized by Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (SRALab).

Dates:
January 16 to March 27, 2025

Description:
This interprofessional nine-session course will follow the path of recovery for a patient with a severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Esteemed faculty will lead participants through the different stages, starting from disorders of consciousness (DOC) (Rancho Los Amigos I-III) and then into the challenging Rancho IV population where behavior and agitation/aggression is often seen. Physicians, clinicians and nurses will provide a strong foundation of knowledge, as well as practical suggestions and applications. The course will explore various recovery periods, including confusion, Post-traumatic Amnesia (PTA) and increasing awareness and independence. Participants will also explore the pediatric aspect of interprofessional evaluation, intervention and education across a range of ages. Integral therapeutic processes such as self-regulation, return to meaningful activity and facilitation, will be addressed. Finally, the course will delve into the topic of ethics and decision-making, concluding with a discussion on how to handle these critical aspects of patient care. By the end of the course, you will have a deep understanding of the TBI recovery process, along with practical skills and knowledge to help patients at different stages of recovery.

LEARNER OUTCOMES: 
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define coma, the vegetative state and the minimally conscious state
• Utilize the Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS) to rate a patient’s level of agitation and use it as a communication tool
• Describe an interdisciplinary team approach to behavior management to facilitate the participation of the patient with agitated-like behaviors in a rehabilitation setting
• Develop an interdisciplinary plan of care for patients in the Rancho V, VI, VII stages of TBI recovery
• Identify common cognitive problems associated with Ranchos Level VIII to X following TBI
• Analyze the impact of a TBI on a pediatric patient
• Describe how the use of goal attainment scaling promotes goal achievement and the development of self-regulation after brain injury
• Apply knowledge of differences in clients with TBI and family caregiver perspectives, clinical biases and ethical dilemmas when discussing real-world safety risk case studies