Staff in-service training on post-stroke psychological and communication issues

Abstract

Aims This article describes the development, content and evaluation to date of an in-service, interdisciplinary training programme on psychological and communication problems after stroke. The training is open to all staff but is particularly focused towards qualified and unqualified nursing staff and therapy assistants who work in acute stroke care and rehabilitation both in hospital and community settings. Content The programme, developed by the authors whose backgrounds include speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and clinical psychology, aims for all staff to develop an integrated, patient-centred approach to care, and addresses issues such as improving the patient and carer experience of rehabilitation, as well as reducing the negative psychosocial consequences of stroke. Service users are involved in delivering the training. Informal evaluation highlighted improvements for trained staff in knowledge and perceived confidence in the recognition and basic management of communication, cognitive and emotional problems after stroke. Conclusions Limitations in evaluation in terms of design, methodology and data are acknowledged, however, preliminary findings highlight the benefits of this programme in holistic stroke care delivery. Suggestions are made regarding future more empirically rigorous research into longer-term effects of the training both for staff and patient outcomes.