The Role of a Stroke Specialist Nurse in Early Supported Discharge and Secondary Prevention in the Community. A Scoping Review.
Sarah-Jane Byrne, David Williams, Declan Patton and 2 others
PMID 41206803WHAT IT FOUND
Community stroke nurse follow-up was reported with better blood pressure self-monitoring, medication review, and patient knowledge.
Expect nurse-led post-stroke education and home or telephone follow-up, not evidence that the nurse alone caused recovery.
Key findings
01Ten included studies described the community stroke nurse role in secondary prevention of risk factors, with interventions delivered by experienced stroke nurses through visits or consultations.
02At 6 months in one nurse-led community programme, patients' knowledge of their personal stroke rose from 52% to 98% and knowledge of the Face Arms Speech Time campaign rose from 68% to 100%.
03One nurse-led telephone follow-up study reported mean systolic blood pressure 121.8 mmHg versus 134.2 mmHg and diastolic 75.3 mmHg versus 78.8 mmHg, with differences remaining stable to 36 months.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a scoping review of 25 studies with many designs, including protocols, so it maps the role rather than proving that nurse-led care caused the reported outcomes. The included studies lacked specificity across settings, and the review assumed transferability without accounting for differences in health systems, patient populations, or resources. Only English papers were included.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts. Funding was from the Irish Research Council.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the blood pressure and knowledge gains as proof that a stroke specialist nurse alone caused recovery. The review included many study designs and nurse-led interventions delivered alongside other post-stroke services, so the contribution of any single nursing component cannot be separated.