A rehabilitative focus is key for patients’ physical activity in the stroke unit – interviews on staff experiences

Magdalena Hagelberg, Sandra Mattsson, Malin Reinholdsson
Purpose:

The aim was to describe nursing staff experiences of patients’ physical activity and inactivity in Swedish stroke units.

Methods:

Semi-structured interviews were made and analyzed with reflexive thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke. Person-centered care is the underlying perspective in inductive analysis. The participants were purposefully selected and 16 nurses and assisting nurses with variation in age and experience were interviewed in 8 stroke units. 

Results:

From the thematic analysis the nursing staff described that focus on rehabilitation is key for physical activity on the stroke unit according to nursing staff in the stroke unit. The multidisciplinary stroke team needs to work closely with common goals and good communication supporting patients towards independence in everyday activities. The informants emphasized that rehabilitation in everyday activities needs to be prioritized but takes more time than just helping. When time, cooperation, experience or attitude was lacking in the stroke team there was a tendency of patients becoming more inactive or hospitalized. On weekdays patients are more physically active while they get bored and inactive on weekends. Staffing, organization, and design of the stroke unit are also important for patients’ activity behavior. The nursing staff described how their ambition was to make patients participants who made their own decisions. Patients’ resources should be identified and encouraged with individual support throughout stroke care to make patients feel seen, respected, and involved. Nursing staff have an important role to motivate patients to physical activity and that staff who connect with patients better can motivate patients to physical activity. 


Conclusion(s):

Nursing staff aim to make patients active participants in care and rehabilitation, but time and staffing inconsistency is a problem. The nursing staff have an important role promoting physical activity in the stroke unit. Knowledge, experience, and attitude varies among the nursing staff impacting physical activity and rehabilitation.


Implications:

This study can promote patients’ physical activity in stroke units and thereby contribute to independence and better function for patients with stroke and improved stroke unit care.

Funding acknowledgements:
The Swedish foundations: Stroke Association, Local Research and Development Board for Gothenburg and Södra Bohuslän, Sahlgrenska Hospital, P-O Ahl.
Keywords:
Physical activity
stroke unit care
qualitative research
Primary topic:
Neurology: stroke
Did this work require ethics approval?:
Yes
Name the institution and ethics committee that approved your work:
The Swedish Ethical Review Authority
Provide the ethics approval number:
Reference number 2021-06716-01.
Has any of this material been/due to be published or presented at another national or international conference prior to the World Physiotherapy Congress 2025?:
Yes

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