Nurses’ Empowerment in Self-Care Education to Stroke Patients: An Action Research Study

BACKGROUND Self-care needs are major problems among stroke patients. Nurses can support them through interventions such as education, a change in their attitude and emphasis on their remaining abilities. However, research has shown some weak points in the quality of care given to these patients. So the aim of this study was to improve the nurses' practice in self-care education to stroke patients. METHODS The findings of evaluation phase showed that during action research, approaching the nurses' empowerment in self-care education to stroke patients has been set in motion. The nursing practice improvement, knowledge based practice, nurses' attitude change, ability to respond against routinization, and motivation promotion emphasize the success of change process. Facilitators and barriers of educating patients are acknowledged by the participants as a factor influencing the continuation of change. RESULTS The lack of nurses' educating performance skills was overcome using action research and changes were made to improve the performance of nurses. CONCLUSIONS The lack of nurses' educating performance skills was overcome using action research and changes were made to improve the performance of nurses.