Effects of an enjoyable nurse-led intervention to promote movement in poststroke inpatients

It is important to have the stroke survivors move as soon as possible to improve disability as well as related problems such as fatigue, sleep, and depression. However, there were few reports on a movement intervention for the inpatients who were in the rehabilitation unit just after taking acute care. An enjoyable intervention was developed that promoted movement focusing on plegic limbs and looked more like a game or a play; the game was designed to be a group activity that could be led by nurses. Twenty participants participated in 30- to 40-min sessions, 3 times a week for 2 weeks. Functional status (cognitive, motor, and total), fatigue, sleep, and depression were measured. Except for the cognitive function, all outcomes were significantly improved in the experimental group as compared to those in the control group. Safe and enjoyable nursing interventions should be developed and implemented to improve disability and related problems for the poststroke inpatients.