Nurse-led ward rounds: a valuable contribution to acute stroke care.

Stroke is a devastating condition. The Royal College of Physicians (2008) highlights that integrated stroke care can improve patient care. Nurses are an integral part of the multidisciplinary team, providing 24/7 stroke care from planning and implementing care to the evaluation of the patient's condition. To improve the way nurses manage stroke patients in an acute setting, a nurse-led ward round was initiated to look at essential nursing care. The Imperial College Healthcare Trust stroke senior nursing team, consisting of a clinical nurse specialist, a ward manager, and a charge nurse, have organised a weekly stroke nurse-led ward round. The team takes rounds to each stroke patient in the ward to examine and evaluate the essentials of nursing care (e.g. oral care, skin integrity, continence, bowel and bladder management), and current stroke outcome measures. During the rounds, the team address nursing issues, make appropriate nursing goals, and discuss their plans with the nurses and other members of the team. A nurse-led ward round has addressed nursing issues in a timely proactive fashion. The initiative has been successful in improving clinical communication between nurses and patient involvement in their care planning. It has also empowered nurses to make decisions within their professional arena, and its contribution has had an impact on patient care and safety through early detection and prevention of stroke complications.