Exploring nurses’ perspectives of stroke care

Abstract

In recent years stroke has been recognised as a national clinical, research and policy priority. Stroke nurses and stroke nursing are important contributors, but previous studies have highlighted lack of clarity and contradictions in the nursing role. A stroke nursing conference in 2002 offered the opportunity to explore nurses' vision for the future through a series of focus group meetings. Many examples of good practice were identified, for example, nursing contributions to risk factor management and secondary prevention, service co-ordination and development, follow-up and support of stroke patients and their families. However, areas for further development include realigning services to a patient focus and ensuring equitable access, integrating services, supporting development of the nursing research evidence base and providing career and educational frameworks for nurses in stroke care. Nurses set out a vision for stroke nursing in which current strengths and developments are consolidated and disseminated in a dynamic, multiprofessional, integrated patient-focused service.

Understanding nursing on an acute stroke unit: perceptions of space, time and interprofessional practice

“…Burton (2000) discovered that nurses provided care, facilitated personal recovery, and managed multidisciplinary care teams, and that these roles suggested that they could provide focused 24‐hour coordinated stroke rehabilitation. Perry et al. (2004) agreed with Burton (2000) and suggested that nurses must move beyond their traditional role of providing basic care and become active participants in acute and rehabilitative care.…”

“…feeding and continence care) is advancing while other areas (e.g. mobility and exercise therapies) are lagging behind (Perry et al. 2004).…”

Effects of a nurse‐led acupressure programme for stroke patients in China

“…Our results have shown that also nurses are an active element in the rehabilitation of stroke patients. Because nurses work most directly with patients throughout the entire course of stroke treatment, nurses are the primary element of the stroke rehabilitation team (Perry et al. 2004).…”

Stress of caring and nurses' beliefs in the stroke rehabilitation environment: a cross-sectional study

“…Demand can also arise from the multiple roles the nurse must fulfil in stroke care, e.g. carer, facilitator of emotional and physical recovery and care manager (Burton, 2000;Mc Kevitt et al, 2004) and the availability of limited health service resources (Perry et al, 2004). In addition, the nurses' role within the multi-disciplinary team is reported to be poorly de ned and understood (Perry et al, 2004) which may place further demands on nurses caring for those with stroke.…”