Current research in nursing interventions for shoulder-hand syndrome after stroke in Class III Grade A hospitals

Objective To investigate current research in interventions for shoulder-hand after stroke in ClassⅢ Grade A hospitals in China. Methods Totally 215 nurses from the departments of neurology and rehabilitation of 6 ClassⅢ Grade A hospitals from a municipality or provincial capital from 6 provinces, which scattered across the northern, northeastern, eastern, central and southern, southwestern and northwestern parts of China, were selected by convenient sampling between January and June 2016. The nurses were investigated with the self-designed Shoulder-hand Syndrome After Stroke Questionnaire. Totally 215 questionnaires were sent out, with 184 valid questionnaires collected. SPSS 21.0 software was used in data statistics. Results The 184 nurses' average scores in the dimension of attention to shoulder-hand after stroke was (4.38±0.59) ; and the score in reasonableness of interventions for shoulder-hand after stroke was (3.98±0.88) . Their scores in knowledge related to patients with shoulder-hand was (48.50±16.67) , and their scores in the dimensions in clinical manifestation, risk factors and interventions were (4.59±3.24) , (2.67±3.90) and (4.06±1.21) , respectively. The knowledge scores were sorted in descending order, and the top 3 scores were found in nursing principles for shoulder-hand syndrome best period of rehabilitation training for shoulder-hand syndrome and observation points of affected extremities. Conclusions The nurses' attention to and knowledge about shoulder-hand after stroke is not enough. There is a lack of standards or guidelines for shoulder-hand syndrome. The process of interventions for shoulder-hand is not reasonable enough and the processes are not fully implemented. Therefore, processes need to be further standardized. Key words: Stroke; Shoulder-hand syndrome; Nursing interventions; Investigation