Using nursing knowledge in the acute phase of stroke: An exploratory qualitative descriptive study

Introduction: Strokes represent a major public health issue in which nurses are involved, both in care and in research. The literature reveals a description of their activities in treating the disease and the altered functions in which it results, as well as in managing the experience of the sufferer. The aim of this work was to describe the knowledge upon which nurses draw when caring for patients in the acute phase of stroke.

Methods: This exploratory qualitative descriptive multicentric survey was carried out via non-directive interviews with nurses working in neurovascular units. Thematic qualitative analysis was used to describe their activities and to highlight the knowledge and skills used.

Results: The results show that the nurses express themselves with ease when discussing their medical knowledge, and with more difficulty concerning knowledge from the human, social, and nursing sciences. However, they often combine this knowledge in a nursing perspective.

Discussion: This work opens up prospects with regard to supporting the nursing knowledge already leveraged and developing the nursing knowledge (concepts and theory of care) relevant to the particular context of strokes. The results also encourage a reflective analysis of nurses’ experience.