European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of Nepalese nurses on caring for hospitalized stroke in the acute stage. Material and Methods: A qualitative study was conducted among a purposefully selected sample of 16 registered nurses aged 24-55 years who were working in the neurology ward in a Teaching Hospital, Nepal. Focus group discussion using interview guidelines was used for data collection where the qualitative content analysis was used for data analysis. Results: The experiences of nurses regarding the deep understanding of caring for hospitalized stroke patients in the acute stage were characterized by three major themes: Perceived caring practice for the stroke patients, perceived barriers of caring practice for stroke patients, and ways to promote caring practice for stroke patients. Conclusion: The study suggests that there is a huge demand for a holistic approach to care for addressing the holistic needs of a person with a stroke. However, it was influenced by nurses caring behaviours and attitude, patient's health conditions, and their awareness of the disease as well as the organizational culture in the acute care setting. The provision of training about cultural-specific care through yoga integration in nursing might be the way to improve the caring practice of nurses for persons with stroke in the study setting.