[Nursing diagnosis: impaired physical mobility in patients with stroke]

The study aimed to investigate the occurrence of Nursing Diagnosis Impaired Physical Mobility in patients with stroke. This exploratory study was developed at rehabilitation units from November 2007 to march 2008, through an interview and physical examination. Nursing diagnoses were made using NANDA Taxonomy II. A total 121 patients were evaluated. Subjects' average age was 62.1 years, 52.3% were males with an average 1.5 stroke events in 3.4 years. The diagnosis was present in 90%, with an average of 5.8 defining characteristic. Difficulty turning was the most present characteristic and there were 3.4 related factors per patient, and most reported decreased strength and endurance besides neuromuscular impairment (100%). There should be a closer look towards this diagnosis when planning interventions after a stroke with aiming at health promotion for these patients.