Reabilitação cognitiva à pessoa com acidente vascular cerebral: intervenção do enfermeiro especialista em enfermagem de reabilitação / Cognitive rehabilitation for people with stroke: intervention by the rehabilitation nurse

A mortalidade por Acidente Vascular Cerebral (AVC) no mundo e em Portugal, encontra-se em decréscimo nas últimas décadas. Contudo, a taxa de incidência tem apresentado um comportamento contrário. Do AVC decorrem alterações neurológicas, constituindo-se como um acontecimento crítico que despoleta no indivíduo/família, um processo de transição. As alterações da função cognitiva, apresentam impacto na funcionalidade, autonomia e qualidade de vida: provocam uma redução na eficiência do funcionamento, diminuição da performance nas Atividades da Vida Diária (AVD) e dificuldade de adaptação. A reabilitação cognitiva baseia-se na neuroplasticidade, ou seja, promove processos de reestruturação, investindo na capacidade do Sistema Nervoso Central em modificar-se e reorganizar-se a nível estrutural e funcional. Os cuidados do Enfermeiro Especialista em Enfermagem de Reabilitação (EEER) à pessoa com AVC, iniciam-se com uma avaliação neurológica sistematizada e criteriosa, para mensuração dos défices e dos ganhos em saúde obtidos através da implementação de programas de reabilitação que incluam a dimensão cognitiva. Estes planos de cuidados contemplam a execução de tarefas terapêuticas exercitadas repetidamente, relacionadas com o autocuidado e/ou direcionadas para o treino da função lesada. As estratégias de intervenção do EEER podem ser de reestruturação ou compensatórias e é a sua mobilização conjugada que torna o programa de reabilitação mais efetivo. Sobre a reabilitação cognitiva, não existem estudos que comprovem inequivocamente as vantagens e os ganhos em saúde e da funcionalidade da pessoa. No entanto, por não existir impacto negativo, devem ser implementados estes programas de reabilitação, porque haverá maior probabilidade de trazer algum benefício comparativamente com a não atuação. O Relatório de Estágio constitui-se como um instrumento metodológico, que sintetiza as aprendizagens e demonstra o desenvolvimento de competências comuns e específicas do EEER, através da descrição, análise e reflexão das atividades realizadas durante o Ensino Clínico, que decorreu em contexto hospitalar e comunitário.

Mortality from Stroke in the world and in Portugal has been decreasing in recent decades. However, the incidence rate has shown an opposite behavior. A stroke results in neurological changes, constituting a critical event that triggers a transition process in the individual/family. Changes in cognitive function have an impact on functionality, autonomy, and quality of life: it causes a reduction in functioning efficiency, decreased performance in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and difficulty in adapting. Cognitive rehabilitation is based on neuroplasticity, which promotes restructuring processes, investing in the ability of the Central Nervous System to modify and reorganize itself at a structural and functional level. The care provided by the Nurse Specialist in Rehabilitation Nursing (EEER) to the person with stroke begins with a systematic and careful neurological assessment, to measure the deficits and health gains obtained through the implementation of rehabilitation programs that include the cognitive dimension. These care plans contemplate the execution of therapeutic tasks exercised repeatedly, related to self-care and/or directed to the training of the injured function. The EEER intervention strategies can be restructuring or compensatory and it is their combined mobilization that makes the rehabilitation program more effective. About cognitive rehabilitation, there are no studies that unequivocally prove the advantages and gains in health and functionality of the person. However, as there is no negative impact, these rehabilitation programs should be implemented, as they will be more likely to bring some benefit compared to not acting. This report is a methodological instrument, which summarizes the learning and demonstrates the development of common and specific competences of the RNS, through the description, analysis and reflection of the activities carried out during the internships, which took place in a hospital and community context.

The effect of nursing and rehabilitation measures on quality of life and expression of Bax/Bcl2 genes in patients with stroke.

Stroke is the leading cause of neurological problems and the third leading cause of death globally, leading to various neurological defects. Due to the importance of applying nursing and rehabilitation measures to reduce complications in these patients, a study was conducted to determine the effect of nursing and rehabilitation measures on the quality of life of patients with stroke. This two-stage experimental study (before and after) was performed on 20 patients with stroke admitted to the internal medicine department. Patients were selected by sampling method, which had inclusion criteria. Data were collected using a questionnaire based on the quality of life in four areas of physical, mental, general health, and social functioning before and after the intervention. Real-Time PCR measured the expression of Bcl2 / Bax genes. Descriptive and inferential statistics analyzed the data. The results showed that the mean quality of life scores in physical function, psychological, social position, and general health after nursing and rehabilitation measures increased significantly (p = .05). Also, the quality of life score after these measures had a significant increase compared to before (p = .05). Also, a significant increase was observed in the expression ratio of the Bcl2 / Bax genes in the study group compared to the control group, which indicates the effect of nursing and rehabilitation measures on cerebral ischemia. The findings showed that the application of nursing and rehabilitation measures positively affects various aspects of patients' quality of life with stroke. These programs should be provided while educating patients and their families to help them achieve greater independence in the future.

Analysis of Rehabilitation Effect of Neurology Nursing on Stroke Patients with Diabetes Mellitus and Its Influence on Quality of Life and Negative Emotion Score.

Objective: To explore and analyze the rehabilitation effect of neurology nursing on stroke patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and its influence on quality of life and negative emotion score. Methods: In this experiment, 110 stroke patients with DM diagnosed and treated in our hospital from 2018 to 2020 were randomly selected and assigned to the study group (SG) and the control group (CG) according to different nursing methods, with 55 cases in each group. In SG, they were given neurology nursing. In CG, they were given routine nursing. The rehabilitation efficacy, quality of life, and negative emotion scores were compared between the two groups. Results: Compared with the CG, the levels of fasting blood glucose, 2 h postprandial blood glucose, and urinary microalbumin in SG were obviously better after treatment. In SG, the proportion of patients with basic recovery and significant improvement after treatment was higher, and the proportion of patients without treatment effect was significantly lower. Overall, the nursing effect of the SG after treatment was better than that of the CG. There was no striking difference in the quality of life and Morisky scores between the two groups before nursing intervention (P > 0.05), but the quality of life and Morisky scores of patients in SG were obviously higher than those in CG after nursing intervention. After nursing intervention, SAS and SDS scores of patients in SG were obviously lower than those of patients in CG, and patients in SG were less affected by negative emotions. Questionnaires were used to investigate the satisfaction of patients in both groups, and the results showed that the satisfaction of patients in SG was higher (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: Neurology nursing has better clinical efficacy for stroke patients with DM and has obvious rehabilitation effect. The quality of life and negative emotion score of patients are better, which is worthy of extensive clinical promotion and application.

Medical Data Acquisition and Internet of Things Technology-Based Cerebral Stroke Disease Prevention and Rehabilitation Nursing Mobile Medical Management System.

This research was aimed at exploring the application value of a mobile medical management system based on Internet of Things technology and medical data collection in stroke disease prevention and rehabilitation nursing. In this study, on the basis of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, the signals collected by the sensor were filtered by the optimized median filtering algorithm, and a rehabilitation nursing evaluation model was established based on the backpropagation (BP) neural network. The performance of the medical management system was verified in 32 rehabilitation patients with hemiplegia after stroke and 6 healthy medical staff in the rehabilitation medical center of the hospital. The results showed that the mean square error (MSE) and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) of the median filtering algorithm after optimization were significantly higher than those before optimization (P < 0.05). When the number of neurons was 23, the prediction accuracy of the test set reached a maximum of 89.83%. Using traingda as the training function, the model had the lowest training time and root mean squared error (RMSE) value of 2.5 s and 0.29, respectively, which were significantly lower than the traingd and traingdm functions (P < 0.01). The error percentage and RMSE of the model reached a minimum of 7.56% and 0.25, respectively, when the transfer functions of both the hidden and input layers were tansig. The prediction accuracy in stages III~VI was 90.63%. It indicated that the mobile medical management system established based on Internet of Things technology and medical data collection has certain application value for the prevention and rehabilitation nursing of stroke patients, which provides a new idea for the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of stroke patients.

Exploring community-dwelling stroke survivors' experiences of receiving a nurse-led theory-based stroke self-management programme: A qualitative study.

ABSTRACT: International evidence-based guidelines recommend self-management support for stroke survivors to improve their health outcomes. We developed a 4-week nurse-led stroke self-management programme (SSMP) and conducted a randomised controlled trial to assess its effects. This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study nested within the randomised controlled trial to explore stroke survivors' experiences of SSMP participation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with all adult participants who were clinically diagnosed with a first or recurrent ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, residing at home, communicable in Cantonese, had a Montreal Cognitive Assessment score below the second percentile, and participated in at least 1 SSMP session. All interviews were conducted in Cantonese, lasted approximately 45 minutes, and were audio-recorded. Interview data were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Sixty-four stroke survivors (mean age 66.33 years, SD 12.34) were recruited, and 59 were interviewed via phone immediately after completion of SSMP. Three themes were derived. Overall, participants were satisfied with the SSMP. Their understanding of self-management was improved, and they recognised its importance in recovery. Their confidence in self-management was also enhanced through the use of multifaceted strategies. Suggestions were made to enhance their participation experiences, including increased home visits and group sessions, making group session attendance optional and arranging them more accessibly, meeting the survivors who shared their survival experiences in the videos, and access to the videos online. This study concurred that the SSMP enhanced stroke survivors' self-efficacy in self-management. Rearrangement of the programme format and enhancements in accessibility could be further examined to enable more effective stroke self-management.

Eficacia de los cuidados de enfermería en la rehabilitación de pacientes con enfermedad cerebrovascular / Nursing Care Efficacy Concerning the Rehabilitation of Patients with Cerebrovascular Disease

Introducción: La enfermedad cerebrovascular es una de las causas más comunes de muerte y representa un problema de salud pública importante. Las consecuencias individuales son sustanciales, por lo que muchos pacientes afectados necesitan cuidados de enfermería. Objetivo: Evaluar la eficacia de los cuidados de enfermería en la rehabilitación de pacientes con enfermedad cerebrovascular. Métodos: Estudio cuasiexperimental con pre y postest, en el centro de rehabilitación ambulatorio privado de Santa Elena, Ecuador, durante 2019. Universo de 75 pacientes que asisten al centro de rehabilitación, de 151 egresados del Hospital General con diagnóstico de enfermedad cerebrovascular. Se evaluaron las características generales y clínicas de la enfermedad y la duración de la rehabilitación. Se utilizó la escala de Utrecht y estadística descriptiva X2 para comparaciones entre los sexos, localización y tipo de enfermedad. Las diferencias se consideraron estadísticamente significativas con una p ≤ 0.05. Resultados: La edad promedio fue de 60,3 +/- 9,8 años. La mayoría de los pacientes resultaron ser del sexo masculino (68 por ciento), con localización de la enfermedad cerebrovascular del lado izquierdo (46,6 por ciento) y de tipo isquémico (65,3 por ciento). Se observó que la independencia funcional, la movilidad y el autocuidado presentaron diferencias significativas al comparar los valores al final de las intervenciones con los valores iniciales (p < 0,05). También se observó un aumento significativo en la función cognitiva, fatiga y estado de ánimo, existiendo modificaciones en los puntajes (p < 0,05). Conclusión: Los cuidados de enfermería son eficaces en la rehabilitación de pacientes con enfermedad cerebrovascular(AU)

Introduction: Cerebrovascular disease is one of the commonest causes of death and represents an important public health concern. Individual consequences are substantial, a reason why many affected patients require nursing care. Objective: To assess nursing care efficacy concerning the rehabilitation of patients with cerebrovascular disease. Methods: Quasiexperimental study, with pre- and post-test, carried out in the private ambulatory rehabilitation center of Santa Elena, Ecuador, during 2019. The universe was made up of 75 patients attending the rehabilitation center, out of 151 patients discharged from the General Hospital with a diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease. The general and clinical characteristics of the disease and the length of rehabilitation were assessed. The Utrecht scale and descriptive statistics, chi-square, were used for comparisons between sexes, location and type of disease. The differences were considered statistically significant with P ≤ 0.05. Results: The average age was 60.3±9.8 years. Most of the patients were male (68 percent), with location of cerebrovascular disease on the left side (46.6 percent) and of ischemic type (65.3 percent). It was observed that functional independence, mobility and self-care presented significant differences when comparing the values at the end of the interventions with the initial values (P < 0.05). A significant increase in cognitive function, fatigue and mood was also observed, with changes in the scores (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Nursing cares are effective in the rehabilitation of patients with cerebrovascular disease(AU)

Cuidado de si: representações sociais de cuidadores familiares de pacientes com AVC / Caring for oneself: social representations of stroke patients' family caregivers / Cuidado de sí mismos: representaciones sociales de los cuidadores de pacientes con familiares accidente cerebrovascular

Objetivo: Analisar as representações sociais de cuidadores familiares de pacientes acometidos por AVC, sobre o cuidado de si. Método: Estudo descritivo, no qual foi utilizado como aporte teórico as representações sociais. Foram investigados 20 cuidadores que frequentavam duas clinicas especializadas em Belém do Pará. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas e organizados pela técnica de análise temática indutiva. Resultados:O cuidado de si foi representado pelos cuidadores como de difícil agregação às suas atividades de cuidar do adoecido pelo AVC devido à sobrecarga de trabalho, a qual gerou estresse e frustração. Alguns cuidadores conseguiram transformar esse estresse em uma representação pertencente a complexidade da sua vivência e da realidade do cuidado. Conclusão:Foi possível acessar o seu imaginário social e consequentemente a produção de significados atrelados as ações dos cuidadores, comportamentos e componentes cognitivos envolvidos na realidade do cuidar

Objective:The study's main goal has been to investigate the social representations of stroke patients' family caregivers by focusing on self-care. Methods: It is a descriptive study, which used the theoretical approach of social representations. There were investigated 20 caregivers who attended two specialized clinics in Belém city, Pará State, Brazil. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and processed by the inductive thematic analysis technique. Results: Self-care was represented by caregivers as difficult to combine to their activities of caring for the person suffering from stroke due to work overload, which generated stress and frustration. Some caregivers were able to transform this stress into a representation belonging to a complexity of their experience and the care reality. Conclusion: It was possible to access their social imagery and, consequently, the production of linked meanings as caregivers' actions, behaviors and cognitive components involved in the care reality

Objetivo: Analizar las representaciones sociales de los cuidadores de pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular de la familia en el auto cuidado.Método: Estudio descriptivo, que se utilizó como las representaciones sociales teóricas. Investigaron 20 cuidadores que asisten a dos clínicas especializadas en Belem. Los datos fueron recolectados a través de entrevistas semi-estructuradas y organizadas por la técnica de análisis temático inductivo. Resultados: El cuidado de sí estuvo representada por los cuidadores como difíciles de agregar sus actividades para atender a los enfermos por accidente cerebrovascular debido a la sobrecarga de trabajo, lo que causó el estrés y la frustración. Algunos cuidadores fueron capaces de convertir ese estrés en una representación que pertenece a la complejidad de su experiencia y la realidad cuidado. Conclusión: Fue posible acceder a los imaginarios sociales y por lo tanto la producción de significados vinculado las acciones de los cuidadores, el comportamiento y los componentes cognitivos implicados en la realidad de la atención

Feasibility of a Nurse-Trained, Family Member-Delivered Rehabilitation Model for Disabled Stroke Patients in Rural Chongqing, China.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Stroke rehabilitation was seriously inadequate in rural regions of China. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a novel nurse-trained, family member-delivered rehabilitation model for disabled stroke patients in rural southwest China. METHODS: A single-center randomized controlled trial was conducted at a rural county hospital in Chongqing, China. Eligible stroke patients were randomly assigned to an intervention group or to a control group. In the intervention group, patients and their caregivers received stroke rehabilitation training focusing on mobility, self-care, and toileting delivered by trained nurses before discharge, and 3 post-discharge telephone calls at 2nd, 4th, and 8th week. The control group received routine care. The primary outcome was functional independence indicating by Barthel Index (BI) scores, and secondary outcomes included health-related quality of life (EuroQol five dimensions questionnaire, EQ-5D) and caregiver burden (Caregiver Burden Inventory, CBI). Outcome assessment was carried out at pre-discharge, 3- and 6-months after discharge. RESULTS: A total of 61 stroke patients were recruited and randomly assigned to the intervention group (n=31) or the control group (n = 30). Compared with that in the control group, BI increased more at 3 months and decreased less at 6 months in the intervention group, there was a significant difference in mean BI scores across the three time points (F = 21.96, p = 0.0001), but no significant between-group difference (F = 0.94, p = 0.3371). In the intervention group, BI scores at 3-and 6-months post-discharge were higher than that before discharge (t = 8.38, p = 0.0001; t = 4.14, p = 0.0003). In the control group, BI scores at 3 months were higher than that before discharge (t = 5.29, p = 0.0001), but no significant difference at 6 months. At 6 months post-discharge, the intervention group and the control group had similar EQ-5D scores (p = 0.91), and similar CBI scores (3.67 vs 3.68, p = 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that the novel nurse-trained, family member-delivered rehabilitation model improved physical recovery indicated by BI scores without increasing caregiver burden, compared to usual care, for rural stroke patients in southwest China.

Urinary incontinence in stroke survivors - Development of a programme theory.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To develop, in an inpatient rehabilitation setting, a programme theory that promotes continence in people who have suffered a stroke. BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence in stroke survivors impacts the quality of life, rehabilitation outcomes and ultimately incurred costs of the patient. Different approaches are available for developing and testing complex interventions. DESIGN: Building a research-based programme theory. METHODS: To elaborate the intervention, a guidance for developing a complex intervention for nursing was chosen and the sources that should be considered were defined. Subsequently, a research-based programme theory was generated that was represented via a theoretical approach logic model. This study was guided by the checklist for reporting theory of change in public health interventions. RESULTS: The intervention consists of six parts with three outcome chains on interconnected levels, which are oriented towards patients and nurses. The important aspects of the programme theory are communication, individually tailored measures and the definition of interdisciplinary objectives. CONCLUSION: Developing a programme theory and representing it via a logic model help clarify the initial intervention and ensure that implementation strategies are well thought out. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: By employing detailed reflection and using previous research, it is expected that the intervention can be implemented successfully and its effectiveness can be investigated in more depth.

A Qualitative study assessing organisational readiness to implement caregiver support programmes in Ontario, Canada.

OBJECTIVE: To qualitatively explore factors affecting implementation of caregiver support programmes in healthcare institutions in a regional stroke system. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive study with the Ontario Stroke System (OSS) was conducted. Data were collected through focus groups and in-depth interviews. Transcripts were coded and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. SETTING: Regional Stroke System, Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: OSS stakeholders including medical directors, executives, programme directors, education coordinators, rehabilitation and community and long-term care specialists, primary care leaders and healthcare professionals. INTERVENTION: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data collection explored perceptions of the need for caregiver support programmes and factors that may affect their implementation. RESULTS: Four focus groups (n=43) and 29 interviews were completed. Analyses identified themes related to (1) evidence that a caregiver programme will improve health and health system outcomes, (2) personnel requirements, (3) barriers associated with current billing and referral processes and (4) integration with current practice and existing workflow processes. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation strategies to adopt caregiver programmes into clinical practice should incorporate evidence and consider personnel and existing workflow processes.

Community-Based Interventions for Stroke Provided by Nurses and Community Health Workers: A Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Community-based interventions are vital for facilitating poststroke recovery, increasing community participation, and raising awareness about stroke survivors. To optimize recovery and community reintegration, there is a need to understand research findings on community-based interventions that focus on stroke survivors and their caregivers. Although nurses and community health workers (CHWs) are commonly involved in community-based interventions, less is known about their roles relative to other poststroke rehabilitation professionals (physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists). Thus, the purpose of this review is to explore research focused on improving community-based stroke recovery for adult stroke survivors, caregivers, or both when delivered by nurses or CHWs. METHODS: A systematic review using Scopus, PubMed, EBSCOhost, MEDLINE, CINAHL Complete, and PsycInfo was completed to identify community-based poststroke intervention studies using nurses or CHWs through August 2018. RESULTS: Eighteen studies meeting inclusion criteria from 9 countries were identified. Details regarding nurses' and CHWs' roles were limited or not discussed. Interventions emphasized stroke survivor self-care and caregiver support and were offered face-to-face and in group sessions in the community and home. A wide range of instruments were used to measure outcomes. The results of the interventions provided were mixed. Improvements were observed in perceptions of health, quality of life, knowledge, self-efficacy, self-management, and caregiver support. CONCLUSION: Nurses and CHWs play a pivotal role in community-based care. Evidence suggests community-based interventions facilitate the necessary support for stroke survivors, caregivers, families, and communities to optimize stroke recovery. Data from this review illustrate a continued need for comprehensive programs designed to address the complex needs of stroke survivors and families when they return to their homes and communities.

Racial Disparities in Stroke Recovery Persistence in the Post-Acute Stroke Recovery Phase: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.

Background and Purpose: Blacks have a higher burden of post-stroke disability. Factors associated with racial differences in long-term post-stroke disability are not well-understood. Our aim was to assess the long-term racial differences in risk factors associated with stroke recovery. Methods: We examined Health and Retirement Study (HRS) longitudinal interview data collected from adults living with stroke who were aged >50 years during 2000-2014. Analysis of 1,002 first-time, non-Hispanic, Black (210) or White (792) stroke survivors with data on activities of daily living (ADL), fine motor skills (FMS) and gross motor skills (GMS) was conducted. Ordinal regression analysis was used to assess the impact of sex, race, household residents, household income, comorbidities, and the time since having a stroke on functional outcomes. Results: Black stroke survivors were younger compared with Whites (69 ± 10.4 vs 75 ± 11.9). The majority (~65%) of Black stroke survivors were female compared with about 54% White female stroke survivors (P=.007). Black stroke survivors had more household residents (P<.001) and comorbidities (P<.001). Aging, being female, being Black and a longer time since stroke were associated with a higher odds of having increased difficulty in ADL, FMS and/or GMS. Comorbidities were associated with increased difficulty with GMS. Black race increased the impact of comorbidities on ADL and FMS in comparison with Whites. Conclusion: Our data suggest that the effects of aging, sex and unique factors associated with race should be taken into consideration for future studies of post-stroke recovery and therapy.

Stroke Rehabilitation.

Acute stroke care is completed, and it is time for discharge. Depending on patient needs, they may continue care with outpatient therapies, home health, long-term acute care, or an acute inpatient rehabilitation facility. This is an overview of the rehabilitation process, nursing care, an interdisciplinary team approach, and psychosocial aspects of acute inpatient rehabilitation. Rehabilitation nursing focuses on goals, outcomes, the attainment or maintenance of functional capacity, understanding long-range patient needs, and wellness. From the moment care delivery is initiated we should all be a part of the rehabilitation process, a link in the chain toward improved quality of life.

[Diversified Innovation Strategies for an Early Limb Rehabilitation Program in Patients With Stroke].

BACKGROUND & PROBLEMS: Early rehabilitation after stroke is important for the recovery of bodily functions in stroke patients. However, the percentage of completion of early limb rehabilitation among stroke patients is only 16%. PURPOSE: Raise the early rehabilitation intervention rate to 88% for patients with stroke within 24 hours of hospitalization. RESOLUTION: We developed an education course on post-stroke rehabilitation and a related e-Learning course as well as organized an 'alliance for recovery' team. In addition, we established a standard for post-stroke relay rehabilitation and designed rehabilitation relay cards, Xbox rehabilitation games, and nine squares challenge for brain stroke care. RESULTS: The accuracy of the knowledge of nursing staff related to physical rehabilitation improved from 72.4% to 100%; the accuracy of their perceptions regarding early limb rehabilitation increased from 16% to 100%; and patient satisfaction increased from 68% to 98%. CONCLUSIONS: We deployed diverse and innovative strategies to assist limb rehabilitation in patients with stroke. Patients and caregivers should be encouraged to participate in early rehabilitation and related programs and should apply the skills and rehabilitation activities learned to daily life.

Nursing practice in stroke rehabilitation: Perspectives from multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals.

In this qualitative, descriptive study, we explored the status of and factors related to nursing practice for stroke rehabilitation in China, considering the perspectives of multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals. Fifteen participants were interviewed in depth, followed by field observations at three healthcare institutions. Data were analyzed using ethnographic data analysis methods. Current nursing practice for patients with stroke emerged as a cultural domain that included nine patterns: coordination of nursing, basic nursing following nursing procedures, limited rehabilitation nursing care with varied functions, therapeutic function in rehabilitation care, the importance of nurses' involvement in rehabilitation, environments making rehabilitation nursing possible, inadequate staffing for the numerous clinical nursing practices, lack of effective communication with other healthcare professionals, and lack of policies regarding rehabilitation nursing practice. Nurses' role in stroke rehabilitation must be addressed by updating nursing practice. Further, stroke team leaders must recognize the constraints faced by nurses in fulfilling their stroke-rehabilitation roles.

Exploring changing needs following minor stroke.

Medical advances have led to many of the severe consequences of stroke being averted. Consequently, more people are being discharged from hospital following treatment for what is classed as minor stroke. The needs of people with minor stroke have received little research attention. The aim of the current study was to conduct an exploratory prospective needs analysis to document the unmet health, rehabilitation and psychosocial needs of a recently hospitalised minor stroke cohort approximately 2 weeks (T1) and 2 months (T2) post-hospital discharge. An exploratory cohort design was used to explore the unmet health, service and social needs of 20 patients with minor stroke. Participants completed questionnaires (Survey of Unmet Needs and Service Use, Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory-4, Exeter Identity Transition Scales, RAND 36-Item Health Survey 1.0) at T1 and T2. Nine participants reported unmet needs at T1 and seven participants reported unmet needs at T2. Between T1 and T2, there was a significant improvement in perceived role limitations due to physical health. Participation in society was significantly better at T2. In conclusion, patients with minor stroke report health, service and social needs that are unmet by existing services. This patient cohort urgently requires co-ordinated services to detect and manage these unmet needs.

Exploring nursing and allied health perspectives of quality oral care after stroke: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Maintaining good oral health remains a challenge among those hospitalised after stroke. Stroke nurses and allied health clinicians have a potential role in providing oral care, but no studies in Australia to date have explored their perceptions and needs. AIMS: To explore the perspectives of nursing and allied health stroke clinicians regarding oral care for stroke patients across acute care and stroke rehabilitation settings. METHODS: This study followed an exploratory qualitative design, using a constructivist approach. Participants from two metropolitan public hospitals were purposively recruited to participate in focus groups. Data was thematically analysed. RESULTS: Twenty-one clinicians participated. Clinicians' knowledge and practices relating to oral healthcare for stroke patients were inadequate. Most staff felt they did not have adequate knowledge, resources and training to administer oral care in this setting and proposed enhancing education of stroke clinicians, patients and informal caregivers, as well as improving quality point of care resources. There was overall support for the integrated dental care after stroke model of care. DISCUSSION: This study revealed many gaps in current care and highlighted areas for improvement. Patients and their caregivers needed to be actively engaged as partners to improve oral healthcare within acute and rehabilitation stroke settings. CONCLUSION: This study provided insight into nurses' and allied health stroke clinicians' current knowledge and practices of oral care in various stroke settings. The findings from this study will inform development of a model of care to train stroke nurses in providing oral care.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a virtual multidisciplinary stroke care clinic for community-dwelling stroke survivors and caregivers: a randomised controlled trial protocol.

INTRODUCTION: The virtual multidisciplinary stroke care clinic (VMSCC) is the first nurse-led clinic developed to offer support to community-dwelling stroke survivors and caregivers, and to promote poststroke recovery. This two-arm randomised controlled trial will evaluate its effectiveness on survivors' self-efficacy (SE), survivors' and caregivers' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and cost-effectiveness on emergency admissions and length of readmission hospital stay. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A consecutive sample of 384 stroke survivor-caregiver dyads will be recruited from four hospitals. An online platform that embraces readily accessible and reliable information will be developed. Participants randomly assigned to the intervention group will receive usual care plus the VMSCC service. The service includes access to a tablet containing 30 videos demonstrating appropriate self-care strategies, communication with a registered nurse monthly through video and telephone calls and regular blood pressure monitoring. Primary outcomes include survivors' SE in self-management and survivors' and caregivers' HRQoL. Secondary outcomes include survivors' performance of self-management behaviours, depression and social participation; and caregivers' coping strategies, satisfaction with caring and depression. Data will be collected at baseline, and at 3 and 6 months after commencing the intervention. Survivors' and caregivers' satisfaction with the service will be assessed at 6-month follow-up. Multivariable regressions and generalised estimating equations model will be conducted. Survivors' emergency admissions and length of hospital stay will be evaluated during the 6-month follow-up period. Cost-effectiveness analysis will be performed on the average total cost incurred. DISCUSSION: The results will inform stakeholders about incorporating the VMSCC service into current stroke rehabilitation service. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This protocol was approved by the Joint Chinese University of Hong Kong-New Territories East Cluster Clinical Research Ethics Committee (CREC Ref. No.: 2017.660). All participants will provide written informed consent. Results will be disseminated through scientific publications, and presentations at local and international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR1800016101; Pre-results.