Positioning for acute stroke

my hospital asked me to create a list of suggestions and positioning ideas for the nursing staff in the ICU and acute floors... i'm wondering what people's thoughts are about what nursing should be doing for the patient physically when the PT/OTs aren't around as well as positioning ideas that can be implemented by the busy nursing staff...

i was thinking of a single piece of paper that could be posted above the pt's bed with pictures on how to position a pt in supine and sidelying, plus some do's and don't's that would benefit the patient--- such as "Don't lift the arm above 90 degrees", "Do approach the pt on the hemi side" "Don't force a spastic hand open", etc...


thanks!

patrick, MPT

Definitely only a single sheet - if it's more than that it's unlikely to be read.

Suggestions on moving the patient would be really good too - i.e. not pulling them up with hemi arm, taking care of the arm if they're rolling them, clearly informing the patient what they're going to do/asking them to do what they can

I have found that most nurses don't have time to do more than that physically with patients

Maybe once you're done you'd be interested in posting what you came up with here?

Clare

One more suggestion would be to use a sling for affected arm before helping the patient to sit up/toilet transfers.

Have a look at this website: http://www.chss.org.uk/advice/stroke.shtml

If you scroll down the page there is a poster document called "stroke positioning", it's meant for nursing staff etc. You can download it and print it off:)

Hello to everyone. I am Angelica from Greece. And i am a new physical therapist, i do my practise exercise in a Greek hospital. I fiind your subjects very interesting and very informative.

Hello friend !
I am form India anh i am so interesting about physiotherapy that is
why i want to know the possibilities in this field across the India and all over the world .

hi
positiong depend mainly on the side of daiaplegia or hemiplegia So we Know on what side we apply patient if we will put him in sidelying posion
there is no standarad posion that we must applied for neuro causess ( remmeber patient should change in position each 2 houres to prevent bed ulcer))
also posiong depend on type of spacity that patient has if he had extensor hypertonicity so defferent posion will be used than if he had felexor hypertonicity.>
Regards
Hessa