*** please respond to each peers DQ answers with a comment add citations and references 🙂 ****

Response one: A stroke or brain attack occurs when blood flow to an area of the brain is cut off, and the brain cells become deprived of oxygen and begin to die– when they die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain are lost (Grand Canyon University, 2018). According to the National Stroke Association, each year nearly 80,000 people have a new or recurrent stroke, a stroke happens every 40 seconds, is the 5th leading cause of death in the United States, every 4 minutes someone dies from a stroke, up to 8% of strokes can be prevented and is the leading cause of adult disability in the United States (National Stroke Association, n.d.) Because stroke is an emergency, it is vital to recognize the symptoms of a stroke because getting help and treatment quickly will have a better outcome.

The symptoms can be easily remembered with the acronym F-A-S-T.

(F)ace: Ask the person to smile and assess whether one side of the face is drooping.

(A)rms: Ask the person to raise both arms and assess whether one arm drifts downward.

(S)peech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase and assess if their speech is slurred or strange.

(T)ime: If one observes any of these signs, call 911 immediately.

Strokes can cause patients to feel helpless and lose a sense of independence, depending on the severity of a stroke. Patients may require additional help with activities of daily living and may enter a facility that has physical therapy to help with the weakness that has occurred from a stroke. At the skilled nursing facility, I work at, I have encountered several patients who are admitted from a stroke for psychological, occupational, and speech therapy. When a patient has had a stroke, both the individual and family are impacted by the stressful demand that a stroke can lead to, and it is vital for the nurse to support the patient’s and families’ psychological and emotional needs by providing education and resources for the recovery phase. There are many stroke support groups, magazines, helplines, and a resource library that can be accessed on the National Stroke Association website (National Stroke Association, n.d.) As nurses, we must provide therapeutic communication and the best optimal care for our patients.

References:

Grand Canyon University (Ed). (2018). Pathophysiology: Clinical applications for client health. Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs410v/pathophysiology-cl…

National Stroke Association. (n.d.). What is stroke? Retrieved from https://www.stroke.org/understand-stroke/what-is-s…

Response two: The clock is ticking on the diagnosis of stoke and effective treatment. At the onset of symptoms a patient should be receiving treatment within 90 minutes. Our facility is considered a Remote treatment stroke center. We use telemedicine technology for access of neurologist for diagnosis. If a patient needs comprehensive care with surgical intervention then the patient is transferred to Dothan, Alabama’s Southeast Health for their level one care. Our main facility Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, Georgia is a Primary Stroke Center. To learn what hospitals are considered level one, two, three stroke centers, the information is available through the department of public health for your state. When considered level one versus level three centers, this designation come from the facilities readiness to provide care. As far as providing family and friends with support our local support group disbanded after the 2007 tornado that destroyed our hospital and with the new hospital build our inpatient rehab facility didn’t reopen. During my research of local support groups only one appeared on the search. Only one person was listed as a member of the Southwest Georgia group called HOPE. Having a stroke action plan is recommended for our own and our families peace of mind. Dr. Walter Kerwin, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, recommends a “stroke action plan” which include learning the signs of stroke, asking your physician about the use of aspirin, locating your nearest ‘certified stroke center,’ and post your action plan (Kerwin, W. 2019).

Reference

Kerwin, W. (2019). Coping with Stroke: What Your Family Should Learn Now. Retrieved from

https://a-fib.com/faqs-coping-with-a-fib-stroke-wh…

Response three: The characteristics of a stroke are weakness of an arm, leg, or one side of the body, memory loss, inability to speak, confusion, vision loss or changes, dizziness, inability to walk and severe headaches. Patients may become depressed due to the loss of function they had become their stroke that gave them dependence and now having to depend on family members for daily activities. Family members and caregivers themselves may start to wonder how this life change is going to affect their family unit dynamics such as a financial burden of being down an income by a family member.

As a nurse, we can offer support by assessing the patient’s desired goal and outcome. We can offer encouragement on a life style change like avoiding smoking, eating a healthy diet, daily exercise even if it is just a range of motion technique for rehab on the affected side. An example for the nurse would be to provide the patient a walker to assist in walking while encouraging the patient to walk around the nurse’s station one time with independent daily exercise without limited expectations.

Denham, A.M. J., Wynne, O., Baker, A. L., Spratt, N. J., Turner, A., Margin, P. … Bonevski, B. (2019). “This is our life now. Our new normal”. A qualitative study of the unmet needs of careers of stroke survivors. PLoS ONE, 14(5), 1-13. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc/10.1371/journal.pon…

Falkner, A. and Green, S. Z. (2018). Neurological, perceptual, and cognitive complexities. In pathophysiology: Clinical Applications for Client Health,1. Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs410v/pathophysiology-clinical-applications-for-client-health/v1.1/#/chapter/2