Nursing Paralysis Essay

Have you ever met someone or had a family member that suffered from a stroke? A stroke is where the person suffers from a loss of blood to the brain cells or suffers a blockage in the blood vessels to the brain. This loss of blood to the brain results in the loss of brain function. People that suffer from a stroke usually have paralysis on one side of the body. The paralysis will affect the opposite side of the body comparative to the proportion of the brain which suffered the blood loss. The paralysis effects how the patient can ambulate and function with daily living, which can be challenging for the patient. Nursing care is important for a stroke patient. Every person is effected differently by a stroke, which is why the nursing care is

vitally important. After reading this paper, you will be able to effectively navigate and implement nursing care with your stroke patient.
A stroke, medically known as a cerebrovascular accident, is a challenge among people, predominantly the elderly. When the elderly population suffer from a stroke they become disabled, and it can impact their daily quality of living. However, a stroke patient is not always a member of the elderly population. It is effective to evaluate the condition of the patient with a stroke. Proper evaluation acquires what medications, exercises, and goals the patient will need to improve their health condition. For example, the patient may need a wheelchair to help them ambulate or stand. Caregivers and nurses of stroke victims need more support and guidance for conducting and giving care. They need a plan of care to facilitate and encourage self-care, minimizing the burden. This demonstrates the need for change in academic education with more focus on a holistic and humanistic view of care (Nascimento, Martins, Resck, Dazio, & Terra, 2011). The nurse’s goal when caring for a stroke patient, is to give high quality care to ensure the patient is able to regain their capacities prior to the stroke.
A qualitative descriptive study was conducted in four inpatient stroke units. This study conducted structured interviews with nurses and focused on groups with staff nurses. After this study, five themes were developed to determine quality care in stroke patients. The five themes are high quality care, organizing continuity of care, strong culture of collaboration no matter the work environment, staff committed to their patients, and continuity of care maintained during hospital discharge transitions (Strewe, Baernholdt, Noerholm, & Lind, 2013). This study determined that nurses need to implement these processes to improve the quality of care and strengthen the continuity of care.
The nurse’s role starts in the prehospital setting. The care starts by ensuring the stabilization of the airway, breathing, and circulation. After the symptoms have been met, and the patient has indeed had a stroke, the nurses need to use the appropriate procedures and protocols to ensure the best treatment for patient. Studies have proven that the sooner their therapy begins, the greater the benefit for the patient. Evidence has shown that there is a three hour window from stroke onset (Debbie Summers, et al., 2009). After seeing a neurologist and obtaining the proper medication, the next step is developing and assessing the patient’s care plan. The role in timing is important when caring for a stroke patient. The faster the plan of care is established, the sooner rehabilitation can happen. For example, if the patient suffers from paralysis, therapy needs to begin immediately to aid with the paralysis and movement of the affected portion of the body. The nurse also needs to monitor all the medications that patient is taking. A stroke patient is most likely on a blood thinner. According to the NPSG’s goals, all patients on blood thinner need to be monitored. The nurse also needs to prevent any other medical complications, such as respiratory problems, high blood pressure, deep vein thrombosis, cardiac monitoring, oxygen levels, etc. (Debbie Summers, et al., 2009). Monitoring vital signs, neurological status, heart rate, respirations, documenting changes in vision, positioning their head, providing a relaxing environment, and administering all the appropriate medications are important for the patient, their safety, and their comfort. Many stroke patients suffer from paralysis, therefore, the nurse needs to ensure the NPSG goal of falling is in place. A patient with paralysis would have a greater risk of falling, than most other patients. Therefore, the fall risk needs to ensure every measure is in place.
A nurse’s role is also to ensure the patient and the family is educated on the risks of a stroke patient. There should be every effort put forth to attain the highest possible level of certainty regarding the prognosis of every major treatment decision of a stroke patient. Stroke outcomes are different for each patient. The ethical obligation of a nurse needs to be focused on the individual duty to help the patient. This obligation requires taking a closer look at the prognosis and determining what needs to be implemented to encourage additional treatments in the form of occupational and speech therapy. The nurse’s decision to approach the immediate supervisor is a significant step, especially with the framework of the discussion being geared toward the progress of the patient. The goal to prolong and enrich the patient’s life, is the ethical duty to take actions that will enable the patient to receive better care. The sooner a nurse of a stroke patient reacts and implements a plan of care, the sooner a stroke patient is able to heal and be on the road to recovery.
Nurses and nursing care are a vital part of the rehabilitation with a stroke patient.

The nursing care of a stroke patient is effectively done by ensuring the patient’s care is centered on the individual stroke patient. When patient-centered care is given, caring for a stroke patient will be effectively achieved, and their care will be provided to the best of the nurse’s ability.

References

Debbie Summers, M. R., Anne Leonard, M. R.-C., Deidre Wentworth, M. R., Jeffrey L. Saver, M. F., Jo Simpson, B. R., Judith A. Spilker, B. R., . . . Pamela H. Mitchell, P. R. (2009). http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/40/8/2911.full. Retrieved from AHA journals-Comprehensive Overview of Nursing and Interdisciplinary Care of the Acute Ischemic Stroke Patient: http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/40/8/2911.full

Nascimento, M., Martins, P., Resck, Z., Dazio, E., & Terra, F. (2011). Self-care to the elderly after cerebrovascular accident: caregiver and academics experiences. Self-care to the elderly after cerebrovascular accident: caregiver and academics experiences, 2175-6783.

Strewe, J., Baernholdt, M., Noerholm, V., & Lind, J. (2013, January). How is nursing care for stroke patients organized? Nurses' views on best practices. Journal of Nursing Management,

141.