Discuss characteristic findings for a stroke and how it affects the lives of patients and their families. Discuss the nurse's role in supporting the patient's psychological and emotional needs. Provide an example.

 

Discuss characteristic findings for a stroke

• Sudden weakness or numbness in your arms, legs, or face-you may notice that one side of your face droops if you smile and look in the mirror. You may have difficulty lifting one side if you try and raise both arms. A stroke can also lead to paralysis on one side of your body depending on the severity.
• Sudden confusion-for example, you may suddenly have difficulty speaking, thinking or understanding speech if you are typing on your computer or having a conversation.
• Sudden headache-a severe headache develops suddenly with no known cause. This headache may be accompanied by dizziness or vomiting.
• Sudden loss of balance-you may experience difficulty with walking, loss of balance or coordination, or dizziness due to weakness on one side.
• Sudden changes in vision-loss of vision or difficulty seeing in one or both eyes. You may suddenly lose your vision completely, or experience blurred or double vision.

how it affects the lives of patients and their families.

• Activities may be affected by Stroke, resulting from the impact of paralysis, poor coordination, loss of feeling, lack of awareness or neglect of one side of the body or difficulty initiating a movement or planning a sequence of movements .Stroke may result in behavioral changes. Stroke survivors, particularly in the early recovery phase, may engage in behaviors that are inappropriate or confusing to family members. Their loved one may not seem like the same person and they may feel that they have 'lost' him or her. Feelings. confusion, grief, guilt, anger, shock, helplessness, and depression are some of the many feelings family members may experience. Some feelings may be directed toward the individual with the stroke. These feelings are common reactions.

Discuss the nurse's role in supporting the patient's psychological and emotional needs. Provide an example.

A nurse should do a physiological monitoring and maintenance of homeostasis. Reduce morbidity and prevent mortality. Prevent and detect lesion extension and cerebral oedema. Prevent complications. Also, motivate the patient. Several ways you can help a stroke survivor stay motivated during their recovery are:

• Set relevant and achievable goals-setting goals that are relevant specifically to that person is a great way to help motivate a stroke patient. Find out what their favorite hobby or interest was before their stroke and set goals that fit with them. If they loved to paint, holding a paintbrush again could be a small goal.
• Address emotional challenges-If the stroke survivor is suffering from depression, apathy, or other emotional changes, they may find it difficult to get motivated for their rehabilitation. There are lots of options for psychological services that can help a stroke survivor move forward and regain their feelings of control and hope.
• Keep a routine-Having a consistent routine helps build motivation over time. Motivation often comes after starting a new routine, not before.  If a stroke survivor can start a routine with their rehabilitation, it makes staying motivated to follow through with it much easier.

Provide a family-centered approach that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing and treating distressing symptoms and emotional distress when interacting with patients and families living with stroke. Identifying patient's emotional needs in a ward and in a timely manner