The development of a collaborative stroke training programme for nurses

The effectiveness of multidisciplinary stroke rehabilitation may be enhance d by nurses and therapists adopting a single consistent approach may be enh anced and mobilizing of patients. As patients can spend as little as 4% of the waking day receiving 'therapy' there is considerable potential for a mo re dynamic nursing intervention, which mag; contribute to improving patient care. We aimed to investigate whether physiotherapists could step back from direc t patient treatment in order to participate in a structured training progra mme for nurses involved with patients recovering from stroke on an establis hed elderly care rehabilitation ward in a district general hospital. Qualitative methods mere used within a participatory action research framew ork to describe the development process and content of the training program me. Nursing staff, physiotherapists and their respective managers were inte rviewed to identify; perceived training needs, This informed the structure and content of the training course and allowed insight into interprofession al working. We found that nursing staff were highly motivated to undertake rehabilitati on training and to develop a more consistent interdisciplinary approach. A course of six theoretical and practical sessions, on normal movement, posit ioning and transferring patients, the upper limb, and gait re-education, wa s delivered to participating nursing staff over a five month period. This w as supplemented by practical, informal individual patient/physiotherapist/n ursing sessions. Details are provided for those wishing to replicate the co urse elsewhere. In conclusion, nursing staff, physiotherapists and physiotherapy tutors par ticipated full in the establishment, development, delivery and review of th e course. As participants in the project became committed to its aims, crea tive solutions were found to the practical problems which arose. The course addressed important professional issues and provided reasonable opportunit ies to practise skills.