Nursing care challenges and overcoming strategies among stroke patients

Stroke remains a leading cause of disability and mortality globally. Nurses play a pivotal role in post-stroke recovery. This study aimed to assess the nursing care challenges and overcoming strategies related to varying levels of activity impairment among stroke patients.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024, India, involving 100 nurses from the neurology ward and High Dependency Unit (HDU) at IMS and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar. Participants were selected using convenience sampling, and data were collected through interviews. The Barthel Index (BI) was used to assess stroke patients' activity impairment. Nursing challenges were measured using the Nursing Care Challenges Assessment Scale (NCCAS), and strategies were evaluated with the Nursing Strategies for Stroke Care Scale (NSSCS). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), applying descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and ANOVA, with a significance level of P < 0.05.

A strong negative correlation (r = -0.827, P < 0.01) was found between nursing care challenges and the BI score, indicating that greater activity impairment was associated with increased nursing difficulties. Additionally, a strong positive correlation (r = 0.850, P < 0.01) was observed between nursing challenges and strategies used, suggesting that as challenges intensified, more advanced strategies were implemented.

The severity of activity impairment in stroke patients significantly increases nursing care challenges, highlighting the need for tailored, evidence-based strategies. Strengthening nurse training and resource allocation is essential to optimize stroke care outcomes.