Nursing interventions for stroke patients: an integrative literature review

The objective of this study was to analyze the knowledge on nursing interventions for hospitalized stroke patients. An integrative literature review was performed by accessing five online databases, in September 2009. The descriptors used in the search were nursing care and stoke, in Portuguese, English and Spanish. A total 223 articles were found, and 12 were selected. It was found in the articles that there was a greater number of clinical nursing interventions, followed by educational, managerial and research interventions. Clinical interventions are more related to the biological aspects of patients. As to the educational interventions, the articles point at the fundamental role of nurses, as well as that of relatives and caregivers. The main managerial intervention was the coordination of health care. As for research interventions, only one was identified and described as the development and improvement of health care practice through clinical evidence.