Care of the Patient With Acute Ischemic Stroke (Posthyperacute and Prehospital Discharge): Update to 2009 Comprehensive Nursing Care Scientific Statement: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

In 2009, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association published a comprehensive scientific statement detailing the nursing care of the patient with an acute ischemic stroke through all phases of hospitalization. The purpose of this statement is to provide an update to the 2009 document by summarizing and incorporating current best practice evidence relevant to the provision of nursing and interprofessional care to patients with ischemic stroke and their families during the acute (posthyperacute phase) inpatient admission phase of recovery. Many of the nursing care elements are informed by nurse-led research to embed best practices in the provision and standard of care for patients with stroke. The writing group comprised members of the Stroke Nursing Committee of the Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing and the Stroke Council. A literature review was undertaken to examine the best practices in the care of the patient with acute ischemic stroke. The drafts were circulated and reviewed by all committee members. This statement provides a summary of best practices based on available evidence to guide nurses caring for adult patients with acute ischemic stroke in the hospital posthyperacute/intensive care unit. In many instances, however, knowledge gaps exist, demonstrating the need for continued nurse-led research on care of the patient with acute ischemic stroke.

Comparative Cost of Virtual Reality Training and Live Exercises for Training Hospital Workers for Evacuation.

Adoption of virtual reality technology may be delayed due to high up-front costs with unknown returns on that investment. In this article, we present a cost analysis of using virtual reality as a training tool. Virtual reality was used to train neonatal intensive care workers in hospital evacuation. A live disaster exercise with mannequins was also conducted that approximated the virtual experience. Comparative costs are presented for the planning, development, and implementation of both interventions. Initially, virtual reality is more expensive, with a cost of $229.79 per participant (total cost $18 617.54 per exercise) for the live drill versus $327.78 (total cost $106 951.14) for virtual reality. When development costs are extrapolated to repeated training over 3 years, however, the virtual exercise becomes less expensive with a cost of $115.43 per participant, while the cost of live exercises remains fixed. The larger initial investment in virtual reality can be spread across a large number of trainees and a longer time period with little additional cost, while each live drill requires additional costs that scale with the number of participants.

Effectiveness of positive pressure ventilation during newborn care unit evacuation.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the utility of high fidelity simulation in understanding effectiveness of bag-valve ventilation in a simulated newborn intensive care unit vertical evacuation. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 70 participants, (13 teams of 4-6 staff) including physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists and other support personnel participated in a 90-min evacuation sessions. METHODS: Two wireless high-fidelity newborn mannequins (Gaumand ScientificR) provided real-time data of ventilation support during a NICU evacuation exercise. Trained evaluators also recorded data related to performance. Following the exercises, the simulator data were downloaded and analyzed for rate and consistency of respirations. RESULTS: Using the data from the simulators and evaluator comments, it was found the infants received proper airway management during the evacuation only 58% of the time. This study highlights the need for ongoing training for NICU staff around safe, effective, coordinated, and timely care of these fragile newborns in the event of an evacuation.

Stroke Family Caregiver Life Changes From the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Stroke family caregivers were already struggling with unmet needs and changes in their own lives from providing care. The COVID-19 pandemic added further stress and disruption to their lives. The purpose of this study was to describe life changes in 17 stroke family caregivers specifically resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This study was conducted as a secondary data analysis from an ongoing randomized controlled clinical trial testing feasibility of the Telehealth Assessment and Skill-Building Kit (TASK III). Using a multimethod design, both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed to determine caregiver life changes. Quantitative ratings regarding life changes were obtained using 17 items adapted specifically for COVID-19 from the Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Scale. Rigorous content analysis procedures for the qualitative data were guided by a start list of codes based on the 17 items, with additional themes possible. Representative quotes were selected based on author consensus. RESULTS: Findings revealed both negative and positive life changes from the COVID-19 pandemic. Negative life changes included such things as disrupted daily routines, limited access to healthcare providers and resources (eg, food, masks, hand sanitizers), reduced family and social contact and activities, decreased emotional well-being, and problems with performing caregiving activities for the survivor. Positive life changes were increased use of the Internet and videoconferencing, closer relationships with friends, and learning how to access needed resources in new ways. CONCLUSION: Stroke family caregivers experienced both negative and positive life changes specifically as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses further indicated that COVID-19 affected most caregivers in different ways and an individualized approach is needed in dealing with caregiver life changes.

Effect of the Preparatory School FAST Stroke Educational Program.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of FAST stroke educational program among all preparatory school students in the state of Qatar. METHODS: The pretest-posttest experimental research design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the FAST educational program in Qatar. A 30-minute audiovisual presentation was given to improve knowledge of stroke. We included grade 7 to 9 students during the academic year 2018-2019. The FAST program consisted of a pretest, an educational intervention, and immediate and long-term posttests at 2 months. RESULTS: A sample of 1244 students completed presurvey and immediate postsurvey, with an average age of 13.5 (1.12) years (range, 11-18 years) and 655 (53%) females. Students had significantly ( P < .01) greater knowledge of stroke signs, symptoms, and risk factors at intermediate posttest (5.9 [2.6] and 6.2 [2.4]) and at 2 months posttest (5.6 [2.8] and 5.6 [2.7]) compared with pretest (4.8 [2.6] and 4.9 [2.6], respectively). Students also had a higher self-efficacy to seek assistance, which was sustained from pretest to long-term posttest. CONCLUSION: The FAST program improved stroke knowledge that was retained at 2 months.