A Mixed-method Study On Nurses’ Assessment Of Post-stroke Depressive Symptoms

Background: Stroke is the second leading cause of death in the world and the leading cause of death in China.Post-stroke depression is prevalent,affecting approximately one third of stroke survivors at any one time after stroke,However,the depressive symptoms of stroke patients are often overlooked in clinical practice.Objective: The aim is to investigate the knowledge,attitudes,and practice status of nurse clinicians on the assessment of post-stroke depressive symptoms and explore its influencing factors,so as to provide empirical evidence for clinical education related to post-stroke depression(PSD)and the development of nursing clinical pathway for screening.Methods: A self-designed questionnaire was used to survey 298 nurse clinicians in Guangdong Province of China.12 nurses and nursing managers among the study subjects were purposefully invited to participate in semi-structured interviews for in-depth discussion about factors affecting status of the assessment.Results: The total scores of the survey of clinical nurses assessing post-stroke depression were(84.76± 13.255),and the scores of knowledge,attitude,and practice of the survey were(25.08±8.975),(33.33±5.483),and(26.35± 6.719)respectively.The results from multiple linear regression analysis showed that predominate influencing factors of knowledge include position and whether appropriate training was offered by the employer.Nurses’ attitudes toward assessment were influenced by where they worked.Influencing factors for practice of assessing PSD symptoms include nurses’ positions,participation in training,knowledge base,and attitudes.Conclusion: The total scores of nurse clinicians in evaluating the symptoms of post-stroke depression were at medium level.Nurses had a positive attitude of the assessment of PSD symptoms in general,but their knowledge and practice need to be improved.Nursing managers should offer training of PSD knowledge based on the needs of nursing staff.Through strengthening the clinicians’ knowledge base and attitude toward PSD assessment,their clinical proficiency will also be improved.This change in practice will result in better outcomes for PSD patients.