Comprehensive education plan for a discrete stroke population: needs, considerations, and gaps

The patient population which has the most to gain from comprehensive stroke education is the one which has experienced a stroke with minimal deficit and carries an increased risk for experiencing a second more severe stroke. This is the patient population the author selected, yet little published information is available. Given that in Canada stroke carries the third highest rate of mortality and the highest risk of morbidity there is a role for an advanced practice nurse to develop and deliver a comprehensive stroke education program for this population. This is of special significance given the understanding that stroke is considered to be one of the most preventable diseases. The practice environment for this patient population is shifting out of the hospital and into the community. The learning needs and issues as well as the identification of appropriate patient focussed outcomes needs to be examined. A comprehensive plan for the delivery of patient focussed education which includes content, setting, and timing for this target population needs to be developed, piloted and reported on. Nurses have been identified as appropriate for delivering patient education. An advanced practice nurse is poised to address this need and develop a model for others to incorporate in their practice.