ABSTRACT
From 2 million to 3 million people in the United States live with the aftereffects of stroke. Nursing diagnoses provide a taxonomy that enables nurses to identify similarities and differences for given groups of clients. The purposes of this study were to identify the most frequently chosen nursing diagnoses for rehabilitation stroke clients and to determine the corresponding objective clinical characteristics (related factors) of these diagnoses. A retrospective descriptive design was used to study charts from randomly selected stroke clients (N = 100) at a large rehabilitation center. At admission and at discharge, impaired physical mobility (99%) and self-care deficit (91%) were the most frequently occurring diagnoses. Impaired physical mobility was usually related to neuromuscular impairment, and self-care deficit was usually related to neuromuscular dysfunction. These objective clinical characteristics help to determine how diagnoses are unique to rehabilitation nursing practice.
Subject(s)
Cerebrovascular Disorders/rehabilitation , Nursing Diagnosis , Activities of Daily Living , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , Self CareABSTRACT
Two to three million people in this country live with the after-effects of a stroke. Care focuses on increasing the functional abilities of the stroke patient. Currently, there are different approaches used in caring for the stroke patient. Two approaches are presented for consideration in working with the stroke patient. A case study illustrates differences between the two approaches. Regardless of the approach used, consistency and long-term goal setting is necessary for patient progress.
Subject(s)
Activities of Daily Living , Cerebrovascular Disorders/rehabilitation , Motor Activity/physiology , Aged , Cerebrovascular Disorders/nursing , Cerebrovascular Disorders/physiopathology , Female , Human Development , Humans , Lifting , Neurophysiology , Patient Participation , Self CareABSTRACT
The success of achieving a competency-based rehabilitation nursing practice is shared in this article. An education day provided a comprehensive approach to ensure that practicing staff nurses stay abreast of the knowledge and skills necessary to provide quality patient care. This article details the decision-making process, competency development, strategies, and evaluation of the competency program. Formal documentation of competency testing is an asset for follow-up and accreditation review.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence , Education, Nursing, Continuing/methods , Rehabilitation/nursing , Humans , Models, Nursing , Program EvaluationABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to compare patients receiving neurodevelopmental therapy (NDT) to patients receiving a traditional approach. The study took place on two separate medical rehabilitation units, each using just one approach. Patients were assigned to each unit based upon bed availability. The charts of 43 cerebral vascular accident (CVA) patients who received the traditional approach and of 37 CVA patients who received NDT were audited for demographic, functional, and disposition data. No significant differences at admission were found between the two groups, except that the NDT group had higher scores in dressing (p = .04) and toileting (p = .02). At discharge, the NDT group had higher functioning scores on toileting only (p = .03). Length of stay was almost identical between the two groups. Eighty-six percent of the NDT sample were discharged home compared to 78% of the traditional sample, but this was not statistically significant. Thus, the NDT approach does not appear to be superior to the traditional approach. These results imply that there needs to be more careful study of rehabilitation approaches before committing to one specific approach in the nursing care of CVA patients.
