Nurses' and nurse assistants' beliefs, attitudes and actions related to role and function in an inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit-A qualitative study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Nurses' and nurse assistants' beliefs, attitudes and actions related to role and function in an inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit-A qualitative study

AU - Loft, Mia I

AU - Poulsen, Ingrid

AU - Esbensen, Bente A

AU - Iversen, Helle K

AU - Mathiesen, Lone L

AU - Martinsen, Bente

N1 - © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2017/12

Y1 - 2017/12

N2 - AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore nurses' and nurse assistants' beliefs, attitudes and actions related to their function in an inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit.BACKGROUND: Several attempts have been made to describe nurses' roles and functions in inpatient neurorehabilitation. However, current understandings of the contributions that nurses and nurse assistants make to neurorehabilitation remain sparse.DESIGN: Descriptive, interpretive qualitative study.METHODS: Participant observations were conducted during 1 month in a stroke rehabilitation unit at a university hospital in the Capital Region of Denmark. The observations were audiorecorded and field notes were taken on the spot. Semistructured interviews with nurses (N = 8) and nurse assistants (N = 6) were performed. The audiorecorded observations, field notes and interviews were transcribed for inductive and deductive content analysis.RESULTS: Three main categories with underlying subcategories were identified: (i) the importance of professionalism, (ii) striving for visibility, (iii) the importance of structure.CONCLUSION: This study contributes to present understandings of nurses' and nurse assistants' roles and functions in inpatient stroke rehabilitation. We obtained insights into nursing staff's beliefs and attitudes about rehabilitation-as well as their own role and function-and furthermore how the latter affects their actions in daily practice.RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The nursing role and function are still not clearly defined. Further education is needed to strengthen the contribution of nursing staff to patients' rehabilitation. Furthermore, focus on developing a professional language and a framework that supports continuity within daily care and rehabilitation is needed.

AB - AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore nurses' and nurse assistants' beliefs, attitudes and actions related to their function in an inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit.BACKGROUND: Several attempts have been made to describe nurses' roles and functions in inpatient neurorehabilitation. However, current understandings of the contributions that nurses and nurse assistants make to neurorehabilitation remain sparse.DESIGN: Descriptive, interpretive qualitative study.METHODS: Participant observations were conducted during 1 month in a stroke rehabilitation unit at a university hospital in the Capital Region of Denmark. The observations were audiorecorded and field notes were taken on the spot. Semistructured interviews with nurses (N = 8) and nurse assistants (N = 6) were performed. The audiorecorded observations, field notes and interviews were transcribed for inductive and deductive content analysis.RESULTS: Three main categories with underlying subcategories were identified: (i) the importance of professionalism, (ii) striving for visibility, (iii) the importance of structure.CONCLUSION: This study contributes to present understandings of nurses' and nurse assistants' roles and functions in inpatient stroke rehabilitation. We obtained insights into nursing staff's beliefs and attitudes about rehabilitation-as well as their own role and function-and furthermore how the latter affects their actions in daily practice.RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The nursing role and function are still not clearly defined. Further education is needed to strengthen the contribution of nursing staff to patients' rehabilitation. Furthermore, focus on developing a professional language and a framework that supports continuity within daily care and rehabilitation is needed.

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.1111/jocn.13972

DO - 10.1111/jocn.13972

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28722777

SN - 0962-1067

VL - 26

SP - 4905

EP - 4914

JO - Journal of Clinical Nursing

JF - Journal of Clinical Nursing

IS - 23-24

ER -