Assignment Instructions
Discuss characteristic findings for a stroke and how they affect the lives of patients and their families. Discuss the nurse's role in supporting the patient's psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs. Provide an example integrating concepts from the "Statement on Human Flourishing" located in Topic 2 Resources.
Sample Answer
Discuss characteristic findings for a stroke and how they affect the lives of patients and their families.
A stroke occurs when the flow of blood in the brain is disrupted causing brain damage. Stroke is characterized by paralysis or sudden weakness on one side of the body and it affects the legs, arms, and face. On occurrence, stroke results in speech difficulties where an individual finds it difficult to articulate words and has slurred speech (Baye et al., 2020). Stroke results in altered mental status as evidenced by disorientation and confusion. One sign of hemorrhagic stroke is severe and sudden headaches blurred vision and loss of vision is another characteristic of stroke. Stroke results in issues with balance and coordination as well as tingling and numbness in one side of the body Baye et al., 2020).
How Stroke Affects Patients and Their Families
On occurrence, stroke results in long-lasting effects on both patients and their families. The effects of stroke can be classified into physical, psychological, financial, and caregiver burden stress. The physical effects of stroke are long-term disabilities and inability to engage in activities of daily living. Some of the emotional and psychological effects of stroke are; frustration, anxiety, and depression. The physical limitations of a stroke may lead to self-esteem issues Baye et al., 2020). Huge costs are associated with the rehabilitation of stroke patients and stroke results in loss of income due to the resultant disabilities. Caregiver burden is due to the physically and emotionally draining duties of care and this can lead to burnout and stress.
Discuss the nurse's role in supporting the patient's psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs. Provide an example integrating concepts from the "Statement on Human Flourishing" located in Topic 2 Resources.
Nurses play a crucial role in providing patients with holistic care services. They provide psychological support by assessing the patient's psychological state and actively listening to them. Nurses provide emotional support by encouraging the patients to communicate openly. They also facilitate the provision of counseling services for both the patients and caregivers. In providing spiritual services, nurses should encourage patients to draw their strength from their faith (Clare, 2020). As per the "Statement on Human Flourishing", nurses must acknowledge the respect the patients' religious and spiritual beliefs.
References
Baye, M., Hintze, A., Gordon-Murer, C., Mariscal, T., Belay, G. J., Gebremariam, A. A., & Hughes, C. M. (2020). Stroke characteristics and outcomes of adult patients in Northwest Ethiopia. Frontiers in Neurology, 11, 428. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2020.00428/full
Clare, C. S. (2020). Role of the nurse in acute stroke care. Nurs Stand, 35(4), 68-75. https://search.proquest.com/openview/99c510a9bcb0741d2abfdc55f438f0b7/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2042228