Nursing research in stroke. A review

Nurses have demonstrated an interest in research in stroke. Studies encompass a broad variety of subjects; some clearly within the traditional realm of nursing and others that are common to multiple disciplines. Studies are limited in number and most lack the necessary numbers or controls that make data meaningful. Important beginnings are evident. Research about nurses who care for stroke survivors attempts to find correlations between attitudes and knowledge or outcome measures. Care delivery systems and models of nursing practice may impact on a variety of outcome measures, both those which are patient centred (functional status, quality of life) and those which are system driven (length of stay, recidivism). Information regarding the experience of stroke is rich in detail but limited in quantity. Much more information must be gained from a broader segment of the population to provide a baseline of understanding. Similarly, caregiver research begins to touch on the experience but considerable variation must exist between spouse caregivers and adult children or others, and between cultures. Finally, our interventions and their effect on outcomes are only just beginning to be studied. We remain a great distance from our ideal "evidence based practice". On a positive note, the research that nurses have conducted within the field of stroke is indicative of the broad interests that exist. To provide the care that is needed for our aging population while resources shift and shrink, it is essential that we not only test our interventions and their impact on outcomes but that we also are prepared to blur the traditional professional boundaries. Nurses do not have a monopoly on family centred care and care for the caregivers, nor do we act in isolation when we implement strategies to normalize bowel function post stroke. Collaborative research between disciplines and across cultural and political barriers is essential; resources for funding are available but have not been successfully accessed. The time is now for research by nurses and colleagues to begin to bridge the many knowledge gaps that persist.