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Aims: This paper aims to identify the frequency and nature of evidence–practice gaps in the initial neuro‐protective nursing care of patients with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury provided by Thai trauma nurses. Background: Little is known about how Thai trauma nurses use evidence‐based practice when providing initial neuro‐protective nursing care to patients with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury. Design A mixed methods design was used to conduct this study. Methods: Data were collected from January to March 2017 using observations and audits of the clinical care of 22 patients by 35 nurses during the first 4 h of admission to trauma ward. The study site was a regional hospital in Southern Thailand. Results: The major evidence–practice gaps identified were related to oxygen and carbon dioxide monitoring and targets, mean arterial pressure and systolic blood pressure targets and management of increased intracranial pressure through patient positioning and pain and agitation management. Conclusion: There were evidence–practice gaps in initial neuro‐protective nursing care provided by Thai trauma nurses that need to be addressed to improve the safety and quality of care for Thai patients with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury. SUMMARY STATEMENT: What is already known about this topic? Traumatic brain injury is a global problem that is a major public health issue in low‐resource settings like Thailand.Evidence‐based practice improves patient outcomes and quality of care while reducing health‐care costs, which is particularly important in low‐resource environments. What this paper adds? There were evidence–practice gaps in the initial neuro‐protective nursing care of patients with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury provided by Thai trauma nurses that increase the risk of secondary brain injury.This study has identified a number of evidence–practice gaps related to oxygen and carbon dioxide monitoring and targets, mean arterial pressure and systolic blood pressure targets and management of increased intracranial pressure. The implications of this paper for practice/policy: The study results provide a snapshot of the evidence–practice gaps of neuro‐protective nursing care for patients with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury that need to be improved in the Thai trauma context, which is a low‐resource setting.The evidence–practice gaps identified in this study will enable targeted interventions to improve the safety and quality of care for Thai patients with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]