Towards rehabilitative handling in caring for patients following stroke: a participatory action research project

Abstract

Participatory action research creates a supportive environment, where those directly involved in moving and handling patients can investigate and direct changes in their practice. Thus it is a significant vehicle for delivering professional development in moving and handling practice. Relevance to clinical practice. Professional development initiatives in moving and handling practice must incorporate processes that enhance inter-disciplinary teamwork and value and utilize the views and experiences of the staff who move and handle patients.

The value of participatory action research in clinical nursing practice

“…The nurses then observed and reported to the reference group on how the patients' knowledge of their medication regime and why they should attend to activities of daily living had improved during their hospital stay. This is consistent with Mitchell's 12 study where they included observations and reported the creation of a supportive environment during their PAR process where those directly involved in moving and handling their patients could direct changes to their practice.…”

“…Participatory action research might appeal to nurses because of its success in facilitating change, improving education and, more recently, health care 2,4–14 . Rolfe 14 reports a growing popularity for PAR in nursing because of its situational, collaborative, participatory and self‐evaluative nature, as well as it being an excellent tool for narrowing the theory–practice gap.…”

“…Participating in action research enables nurses to control their own practice. Mitchell et al 12 . suggest that, in their study relating to caring for patients following stroke, the nurses were observed to be ‘empowered through their active participation in the project’.…”

Stroke education for healthcare professionals: Making it fit for purpose

“…Moving and handling training is compulsory, is usually provided by the workplace and is not a stroke-specific requirement. Therefore it may have been considered as a generic skill (McGuire & Dewar 1995;Mitchell et al 2005) not necessitating stroke education intervention. It is likely that stroke-related continence was viewed similarly with management handled in the same way as continence associated with other conditions.…”

Models of Change

“…9 Nursing leaders in a stroke unit in the United Kingdom aimed to help nurses take ownership of their moving and handling practice. 10 The primary aim of the project was, in the short term, to facilitate changes in moving and handling practice that were consistent with manual handling regulations. In the long term, the project sought to move the unit toward rehabilitative handling in caring for patients with stroke.…”