UK 11 Stroke Unit: A Case Study

Experienced nurses find ways of incorporating oral care into regular assessments – combining the two encourages performing the oral hygiene care and saves time. Dale, et al. (2016) quoted an un-named ICU administrator who commented, “I would hope that they are teaching (mouth care) in the critical care curriculum.” Stressing the importance of oral care early in the training of a new critical care nurse should help to solidify the inclusion of oral care into regular daily practice.

As a nurse in a skilled nursing facility, oral hygiene care is very important, but the importance significantly increases when our patients are functionally dependent or cognitively impaired. These patients are unable to perform this task and depend on nurses to provide daily care. Nurses need to pay close attention for potential problems. They will need to perform assessments, develop oral care plans, and identify preventions and strategies to eliminate any potential problems. Poor oral health has been linked to serious systemic illnesses including diabetes mellitus, stroke, hypertension, myocardial infarction and aspiration pneumonia (Dyck et al., 2012). Patients who suffer from a lack of oral care can have a dramatic impact to their

Strokes are caused by a block in the blood supply to the brain which causes a decrease in oxygen and delivery of other important supplies which facilitate proper functioning. Fifteen million cases are reported worldwide annually, although not all of these cases are mortalities, the large prevalence of strokes ranks it as the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. (Figueroa) Because of the time sensitivity associated with the lack of resources to the brain, strokes are considered a medical emergency and early recognition of symptoms can help decrease the amount of damage caused . Although strokes do not always cause death, strokes most often leave the individual with some physical and cognitive impairment.

Stroke is a leading health care problem worldwide; ‘living with stroke’ is a real challenge both stroke survivors and their caregivers face.

3000 word essay on patient with left sided stroke with one identified health need/problem: Dysphagia

Urinary incontinence is very common following a stroke with 40-60% of hospitalised patients experiencing it in the acute phase, 25% on discharge and one third of survivors experiencing ongoing problems at one year (Barrett 2002, Kolominsky-Rabas et al.2003).Bladder and bowel problems are common following a stroke and can have a huge impact on physical and psychological aspects of quality of life, for both patients and carers. Health care professionals can do much to help improve and manage incontinence problems in stroke patients and this starts with a good understanding of key issues. Mobility and manual dexterity problems can compound bladder and bowel symptoms because they can make toileting access difficult, other problems such as visual disturbances, dysphagia and cognition also contribute indirectly to continence difficulties. There is evidence that professional input through structured assessment and management of care, together with the involvement of specialist continence nursing services, may reduce urinary incontinence and related symptoms after stroke. Bladder and bowel care requires active management –this includes a written personalised plan, taking into consideration required assistance, personal needs and goals. This essay is an overview on the importance of timely nursing assessment and management of urinary incontinence

As society continues to age, one fourth of the world will be 65 years or older, thanks to the influx of baby boomers. Due to this rapid growth in longevity, this will multiply the problem of access to care. Attention towards systemic conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and strokes are being discussed by government agencies and health care professionals. (Overview of oral health, 2017). There is evidence linking oral health to systemic health, therefore, a need for a more collaborative approach towards prevention is critical to achieve overall health for the public (Jin, 2016).

Mrs. Alice Palmer is a 54-year old married woman who has been admitted and is being treated with an ischemic stroke which she had 18 hours ago. This paper explores the nursing care of Mrs. Alice Palmer based on the clinical reasoning cycle by considering her situation first, collecting cues and information about her, processing the information gathered, then identifying problems or issues she is experiencing, and finally carrying out a detailed assessment. Also, the paper focuses on setting goals and establishing a nursing care plan in the community, and target ethnically safe practice. Ischemic stroke occurs when the brain tissue does not receive sufficient oxygenated blood due to an obstruction of the carotid artery (Brunner, Suddarth, & Smeltzer, 2008). When the brain does not receive enough oxygenated blood, some or all of its tissues may get damaged

This essay aims to explore the importance of utilising evidence based care while working with clients and other health care providers to form a professional and reliable nursing team. This essay also aims to focus and evaluate a qualitative article entitled “Patient experiences of bladder problems following stroke” selected from the Nursing Standard. The assignment will adopt a systematic approach to expose the strengths and weaknesses of the chosen qualitative research article. I found this topic quite intriguing after undertaking a clinical placement in a stroke unit and learnt that many people suffered in silence as they found urinary incontinence embarrassing to live with as

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2015) every year there are 800,000 individuals who have strokes. There are 610,000 first time cases and 185,000 recurring stroke individuals. It is important for caregivers to note that the increased risk of another stroke is higher after the first (CDC, 2015). It is also critical for the caregiver to ask questions of the physician, such as what aspects physiologically and emotionally have been affected and treatments

Evidence-Base practice (EBP) is defined as based on problems identified from nursing practice; using best evidence and professional expertise and merging them into current practice to ensure patients receive quality care (French, 1999). Evidence-based practice is a part of quality improvement process; it is made of evidence, clinical expertise, patient preference and the context of care (Barker, 2013). In brief, evidence-based practice is the guideline in the nursing practice that requires nurses gather and use clinical evidence to help diagnose or assess patients correctly by using their knowledge and experience in order they can deliver the quality of care to the patients (Ellis, 2013). In the other words, in the nursing practice the clinical evidence supports all the nursing procedures performed.

The article emphasizes time as a critical aspect to acute ischemic stroke management. The leading method of treatment in AIS is intravenous rtPA because the door-to-needle time is less compared to the time it takes to do methods that use thrombectomy devices or catheterization. I believe that it is vital for people to know the signs and symptoms of acute ischemic stroke because it is one of the leading causes of death and disability. The faster one is able to identify these signs and symptoms, the better an outcome it would be for both the patient and their family members. The general public and hospital staff members should be educated on AIS. This article also briefly touches on the fact that patients suspected of having a more severe stroke (proximal artery occlusion) should be immediately transported to a

Stroke is seen as a major health concern and this is due to the fact that every year, as many as 110,000 individuals suffers from strokes making it a key issue. (NHS 2014)

Approximately 15 million people suffer a stroke worldwide each year, of those 5 million die and another 5 million are permanently disabled Mackay et al (2004). Stroke tends to affect people over the age of 75 (Scarborough et al 2009). Since almost 70% of people over 75 retain some teeth (Todd and Laden 1998), maintaining a healthy mouth is important for elderly stroke patients. Not only does effective oral care play a central role in the prevention of infection, a healthy mouth also makes a real difference to a person’s quality of life (McGrath and Bedi 1998) and maintenance of nutritional status (Jones 1998) .For these reasons, this dissertation will examine the benefits of good oral hygiene for elderly stroke patients and nurses role in

The over the counter medication once known only for its ability of easing aches and pains or fighting off fever and inflammation is proving itself to be quite the miracle drug. Aspirin has become part of the protocol for stroke victims as a preventative measure due to its neuro-protective benefits. Stroke can cause lesions in cerebral white matter, which may result in cognitive impairments such as deficits in learning and memory. White matter lesions (WML) have also been linked to increasing the risk of post-stroke dementia. Cerebral white matter damage has been widely overlooked. Comprised of oligodendrocytes that form the insulating myelin in the CNS, white matter is evidentially just as vulnerable to ischemia as gray matter.