How to care for stroke patient?

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Hi all.

I have a patient this week that I have yet to meet. All I know is that they are a stroke patient, L sided weakness. I am in my first semester and we started clinicals about 3 weeks ago but only once a week and one patient a week.

How should I care for this patient? Or what precautions should I keep in mind when caring for this patient?

They are a fall risk, so I do want to be extremely careful with their care.

What assessments should I perform on the patient? On every patient I get, I always assess the vitals and lungs, any edema, skin turgor.

I'm guessing each patient doesn't have to have certain assessments, depending on their situation? It'd be nice to know about a stroke patients care and assessments.

Again, this is is my first semester. We start the real stuff in second semester.

Thank you and I appreciate it [emoji4]

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

I think that your instructor and your textbook should be the places to search for education. What if your hospital has a special Stroke Care Pathway that you are required to follow? We would have no way of knowing what that entails. The basics of patient care should very definitely be outlined in your Foundations of Nursing textbook.

And a piece of advice for a new nursing student. Please don't believe everything you read on the internet. Folks on this nursing forum (or on any internet forum) are not always what they claim to be. Most of us are nurses; some are not. Most nurses will not pass along nursing advice unless they know for a fact that it is valid. Others give advice willy nilly without any facts to back themselves up. Don't be someone who doesn't take the time to fully research, in appropriate venues, what you need to know to care for your patients.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

If you are dressing them do the weak side first. if you are transferring always transfer towards the strong side. When positioning them make sure the weak arm/shoulder is supported.

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I think that your instructor and your textbook should be the places to search for education. What if your hospital has a special Stroke Care Pathway that you are required to follow? We would have no way of knowing what that entails. The basics of patient care should very definitely be outlined in your Foundations of Nursing textbook.

And a piece of advice for a new nursing student. Please don't believe everything you read on the internet. Folks on this nursing forum (or on any internet forum) are not always what they claim to be. Most of us are nurses; some are not. Most nurses will not pass along nursing advice unless they know for a fact that it is valid. Others give advice willy nilly without any facts to back themselves up. Don't be someone who doesn't take the time to fully research, in appropriate venues, what you need to know to care for your patients.

I asked in hopes of someone with experience, (nurse) could give me a little info on the basic care of stroke patients

We have not gone over anything about patients. Only common meds, professionalism, culture, hand hygiene, sterile fields, elimination, and a few other topics that do not cover a lot of medical conditions.

We don't have enough time to go over things like that because our classes are all 8 weeks long throughout the program. Maybe we will learn in next semester.

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If you are dressing them do the weak side first. if you are transferring always transfer towards the strong side. When positioning them make sure the weak arm/shoulder is supported.

Thank you, I greatly appreciate it

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing, Pediatrics.

We have not gone over anything about patients.

This would be a great time to ask your instructor then.

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This would be a great time to ask your instructor then.

Wow, meant to put "stroke patients" in there [emoji58]

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Since you stated you are in your first semester, and it sounds like you haven't covered a ton yet, check out in your text how neuro assessments are performed. I am sure you can find some nice videos online as well. Another assessment for stroke patients is a dysphagia screen. Each and every confirmed or possible stroke or TIA patient that comes to our floor gets a dysphagia screen right off the bat. Performing a thorough neuro assessment as soon as you get the patient lets you gauge improvements or declines throughout your shift. Anyhoo, see if you can find some videos and compare them with what's in your text as far as these two assessments in particular.

As Roser13 mentioned, ask at your facility what their core measures are for stroke. We have specific things that need to be done in a specific time frame when someone comes in with something such as a stroke or an MI. This will be a good opportunity for you to at least be introduced to those.

Good luck! :)

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