Effectiveness of Nurse-Led Intervention on the Management of Patients With Stroke: A Systematic Review and...

Stroke remains a leading cause of mortality and long-term disability worldwide, with timely intervention critical for reducing brain injury. Nurse-led interventions may streamline care and improve outcomes in stroke management.

This study aimed to synthesize current evidence on the effectiveness of nurse-led interventions on the management of patients with stroke.

This review was reported according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Comprehensive searches across multiple databases identified 32 studies providing stroke nurse-led intervention for adult stroke patients (≥ 18 years). Outcomes evaluated included mortality, door-to-needle (DTN) time, neurological function (NIHSS), functional recovery (modified Rankin Scale and Barthel index), quality of life (EQ-5D) and length of hospital stay.

Although a non-significant pooled odds ratio of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.44-1.32) was reported for mortality, nurse-led interventions significantly reduced DTN times (SMD: -1.87, 95% CI: -2.91 to -0.82) and improved neurological outcomes, with NIHSS scores showing a pooled weighted mean difference of -0.81 (95% CI: -1.36 to -0.25). Continuous measures of functional recovery assessed by mRS and the Barthel index also demonstrated significant improvements.

Stroke nurse-led interventions enhance critical process metrics and neurological recovery in acute stroke care, supporting the integration of specialized nursing protocols in stroke management.