Stroke Management Awareness and Behavior among Nursing Students in Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Stroke is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. In Bangladesh, stroke accounts for 27% of deaths, making it the third leading cause of death and disability [1]. Nurses have a critical role to play in reducing death and disability among stroke victims, but many nursing students are not being educated to meet the challenges of this complex condition. Objectives: This study examined undergraduate nursing students’ awareness of strokes and their stroke patient management behaviors. Method: This was a descriptive study that surveyed undergraduate nursing students about their awareness of strokes and stroke patient management behaviors. One hundred and forty-four students were recruited from Dhaka University’s and Rajshahi University’s nursing colleges in Bangladesh. The students completed and returned the Awareness of Stroke Risk Factors, Awareness of Stroke Warning Signs, and Behavior of First Responses to Strokes and Behaviors of Special Managements of Stroke questionnaires between December, 2014 and February, 2015. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation-Coefficient. Results: The results showed that nursing students had a moderate awareness level of stroke risk factors (M = 74.24, SD = 12.30) and a very low awareness of stroke warning signs (M = 55, SD = 10.72). In addition, all of the students had a low to very low level of behaviors of special stroke patient management (M = 62.11, SD = 9.75) and a very low level of behaviors of first responses to strokes (M = 0.24, SD = 0.43). There was a significant positive correlation between nursing students’ awareness of stroke risk factors and stroke warning signs (r = 0.247**, p < 0.001). However, no significant correlation was found between students’ awareness of stroke risk factors with their behaviors of first responses to strokes (r = 0.043, p > 0.05). In addition, their awareness of stroke warning signs was not correlated with their behaviors of special stroke patient management (r = 0.031, p > 0.05). These findings suggested that nursing students need to increase their awareness level to develop stroke management behaviors in order to improve practicum preparedness. Conclusion: Work-based education must be a part of nursing students’ curricula to increase their awareness of strokes and improve their stroke management behaviors to improve practicum preparedness.