Feasibility of Utilizing Median Nerve Stimulation Protocol in Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Setting for Patients in Disordered Consciousness

The focus of this presentation is to discuss the feasibility of incorporating median nerve stimulation into standards of care for patients in disordered consciousness within the acute inpatient rehabilitation setting. Current literature reports a possible positive effect of right medial nerve stimulation in the recovery from disordered consciousness in the acute care setting; however, it is not widely utilized as a treatment modality. With more patients in disordered consciousness being admitted to an inpatient rehab setting and few evidence-based interventions in the field of occupational therapy to be used with this population, we are interested in how we can elevate our care. During this presentation, we will provide an overview of disordered consciousness, review the evidence behind median nerve stimulation, how we implemented median nerve stimulation, discuss barriers that we encountered, and our plans to expand our findings throughout the organization.