A study on the nursing care given to the stroke patients in the neurology units, and participation of the patient relatives in care

A STUDY ON THE NURSİ CARE GİNG VEN TO THE STROKE PATİENTS İNTHE NEUROLOGY UNİ AND PARTİ PATİ OF THE PATİTS, Cİ ON ENTRELATİVES İ CARENABSTRACTThis descriptive study was carried out to determine the nursing care services rendered to thepatients admitted in the neurology units, and participation of the patient relatives in suchservices.The sampling comprised of total 13 nurses employed in the neurology units of Dr. Tandoğ anTokgöz State Hospital in Düzce and the Abant İ Baysal University Research and PracticezzetHospital in Düzce, and the relatives of 60 patients hospitalized in the neurology unts of thetwo hospitals between March 2005 and March 2006. The collected date were analyzedthrough such descriptive statistical tests as percentage, average and standard deviation.It was determined that the nurses worked for 1 to 2 years in the neurology units (61.5%), wereresponsible of average 15 patients, including 5 to 10 patients in each service, and took care of5 to 10 patients in their last working shift (61.5%), and that they did not attend anypostgraduate training course on neurological nursing (100%), and were reluctant to work inthe neurology units. 69.2% of the nurses spent one half of their working times for patientcare, while 15.4% of them reserved a working time not longer than 30 minutes for, and 7.7%of them were not involved in patient care.It was found that the paralyzed patients were mostly female (60%) and confined to bed(83.3%). The patients were hospitalized for 3 to 21 days with an average time ofhospitalization for 7.20±4.40 daysThe patient relatives were mostly female (85.0%), and 35 to 64 years old (76.7%). Theyusually accompanied the patient for a period not longer than 5 days (60%) voluntarily (95.0%)for meeting the needs of their patients (46.9%), patient care (30.4%), and for assisting theirpatients (7.5%).61.5% of the nurses expressed that they did not applied the identified ideal nursing care, while65% of the patient relatives stated that the identified care was applied. 69.2% of the nursesfound the nursing care in their units insufficient, though the applied nursing care was foundsufficient by 73.3% of the patient relatives.Almost all of the nurses supported the accompaniment of patient relatives (92.3%), soughthelp from the patient relatives (69.2%), and expected the patient relatives to contribute to thepatient care (25%), meet the needs of patients (25%), respect the service rules and notintervene the nursing care (12.5%).The patient relatives defended that they positioned the patients (78.8%), while the nursesclaimed that the patients were positioned by the nurses (53.3%) and by the patient relatives(46.7%). The patient relatives claimed that the drugs were administered by them (62.2%),though the nurses stated that they were nurses who administered drugs to the patients(81.3%). The body cleaning was claimed by the nurses to be made by them at a rate of 58.9%,and by the patient relatives to be made by them at a rate of 88.7%. As for the active-passiveexercises applied for the patients, it was claimed to be performed by the nurses and the patientrelatives at a rate of 75% and 67.7% respectively.In line with the above consequences, it was suggested to develop the appropriate protocols forpatient care, reduce the non-nursing activities, arrange on-job training programs, organize theworking times of nurses that should be supported by the management.Key-Words: Cerebrovasculer Accident, Neurology Department, Nurse, Nursing Care,Relative.