Effectiveness of Nurse-Led Stroke Rehabilitation on Awareness, Activities of Daily Living and Coping in Stroke Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital in India.

Introduction Stroke is a major global cause of mortality and disability, with many survivors lacking awareness. Nurses play a pivotal role in the early identification and management of symptoms with regard to stroke. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of stroke rehabilitation on awareness, activity of daily living (ADL) and coping among stroke patients. Methods A quasi-experimental approach was used, with 60 stroke patients (30 patients in the study and 30 patients in the control group) selected using a non-probability purposive sampling technique. The pre-test on stroke awareness by the stroke knowledge assessment tool, ADL was assessed by the Barthel Index, and coping was assessed through the Brief-COPE (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced) scale among stroke patients. The investigator implemented stroke rehabilitation for study group participants and routine was followed for control group patients. Nurse-led stroke rehabilitation consists of Day 1 lecture on the causes, medication adherence, post-stroke complications, and home care following a stroke; Day 2: Tailored to individual needs - demonstration of meeting ADL such as bathing, toileting, grooming, and feeding; Day 3: Demonstration of active and passive range of motion (ROM) exercises; Days 4-7: Supervised practice sessions on meeting daily activities as well as active and passive exercises. Daily practices last 40 minutes once a day was carried out. Post-test was conducted on the 30 day at neurology OPD during a re-visit, on stroke awareness, ADL and coping. The data was organized and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results The control group had a mean awareness of causes, symptoms, management, and prevention of complications of stroke with a mean score of 11.7 while the study group had 13.6, which was statistically significant at p < 0.05. ADL comparison between control and study groups revealed that the ADL mean score was 12.07 in the control group and 13.23 in the study group significant at p < 0.05. A significant disparity in coping was found between the control group (30.3) and the study group (35.03), which was statistically significant at p < 0.01. Conclusion The study reveals that stroke rehabilitation led by nurses is more effective for stroke patients in improving their coping abilities, ADLs, and awareness.