Neurological Nurses' Perspectives on Communication of Stroke Recurrence Risks: A Mixed-Method Study.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Nursing
• Public Health

Background:

• Stroke recurrence poses a significant health risk, necessitating effective patient communication strategies.
• Neurological nurses play a vital role in educating patients about stroke recurrence risk.
• Current practices in stroke recurrence risk communication (RC) among nurses require comprehensive understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore neurological nurses' practices, attitudes, and thoughts on communicating stroke recurrence risk.
• To identify barriers and facilitators influencing stroke recurrence risk communication.
• To inform the development of improved communication strategies and training programs.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-method study employing a sequential explanatory design.
• An electronic survey distributed to 280 neurological nurses across 30 hospitals.
• In-depth interviews with 10 nurses from three tertiary hospitals, analyzed using Colaizzi's methods.

Main Results:

• Most nurses perceive stroke recurrence risk communication as essential and beneficial.
• Nurses frequently discuss warning signs, risk factors, and recurrence likelihood, but communication is often non-standardized.
• Key influencing factors include nurse-related (age, knowledge), patient-related (trust), and organizational (lack of standardized models) aspects.

Conclusions:

• Neurological nurses acknowledge the importance of stroke recurrence risk communication but require enhanced skills.
• Standardized communication models, training programs, and assessment tools are necessary for effective patient education.
• Improving nurses' confidence and competence in stroke recurrence risk communication is crucial for secondary stroke prevention.