Role of Advanced Practice Nurses
The role of an advanced practice nurse (APN) may
start with patient rounds, identifying patients at high
risk for brain stem herniation. Before terminal herniation
syndromes occur, an APN may expedite aggressive care
to control ICP elevations and may coordinate additional
therapeutic interventions and neurodiagnostics. An APN
may use these clinical events as teaching moments to illustrate
clinical findings and aggressive, mechanism-based
care in controlling ICP elevations. An APN may educate
and support bedside clinicians throughout a patient’s
care and may facilitate preparation and provide support
during formal brain death protocols. Coordinating and
assisting with clinical examinations and neurodiagnostic
studies and facilitating appropriate clinical documentation
of brain death protocols as needed may also be roles
of an APN. Table 7 provides a sample checklist of components
of a brain death protocol