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Background: Caring for patients after a neurovascular incident is common for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). Most neurological readmission studies focus on a small subset of neurovascular incident groups, but advanced practice nurses in primary care attend to a diverse neurovascular population and lack time to adequately search hospital records. Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine readmission risk factors after a neurovascular incident to guide APRNs in the primary care setting. Methodology: The study is a retrospective observational study that used a crude single predictor model to determine potential risks for readmission. Results: A total of 876 neurovascular participants were studied. Of these, only 317 experienced at least one hospital readmission, with 703 readmissions within 1 year, indicating some were readmitted more than once. Risks for readmission varied across neurovascular events. The main reasons for readmission were because of neurological, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal complications. Conclusions: Stroke readmission rates are high and require intervention by APRNs. To prevent readmission includes timely follow-up within 30 days and should also include longitudinal follow-up beyond 90 days to prevent hospital readmission. Implications: Future studies are needed to create guidelines for APRNs that implement rehabilitation strategies to decrease hospital readmission for the neurovascular population that focus on interdisciplinary communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges to healthcare organizations across the world. This article describes an international joint venture between Mayo Clinic and Abu Dhabi to care for an increasing number of patients with COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose recent data show that there is limited evidence and guidance regarding the best practices for the integration of palliative care (PC) and end-of-life (EOL) post-stroke. The purpose of this meta-synthesis is to understand the PC/EOL experiences after a stroke. Methods a meta-synthesis was conducted to answer the following research question—What are post-stroke PC/EOL experiences from the perspectives of patients, families and healthcare professionals (HCPs)? This approach was completed through two main phases—a systematic search and appraisal of the literature and reciprocal translation with interpretive triangulation of the extracted data. Databases searched were MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Joanna Briggs Institute and CINAHL databases (from their inception to April 2020). After data were extracted, a qualitative exploratory design was used to evaluate the PC/EOL in post-stroke experiences. Results the search identified 696 studies. A total of 14 studies were included in this meta-synthesis as they satisfied our eligibility criteria. Uncertainty post-stroke was the overarching main theme that emerged across post-stroke PC/EOL experiences. Within this theme of uncertainty, opportunities to decrease uncertainty emerged from two interdependent themes—presence of cohesive communication and shared dynamic decision process for both families and HCPs. Conclusions to mitigate the degree of uncertainty post-stroke, HCPs should be present, provide clear direct communication and incorporate the value-based goals of care within their medical treatment plan. These findings suggest that future research is needed to focus on how PC approaches can be integrated into stroke care programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To investigate the experiences of ischaemic stroke survivors during the transitional period from the hospital through the first 4 weeks after discharge home. Background: Ischaemic stroke survivors describe the transition from hospital to home as an important time in their recovery and describe various physical and cognitive concerns early within the recovery period. Adequate transitional care interventions should be informed by such experiences. Design: This is a qualitative descriptive study. Method: This study used semistructured telephone interviews and an inductive approach to enable thematic analysis of information from 31 persons experiencing an ischaemic stroke. Results: Five major themes emerged: (a) the shock of a stroke interrupting a normal day; (b) transition to an unfamiliar home; (c) uncertainty; (d) understanding a new sense of self; and (e) adjusting to a new sense of self. All participants articulated a need to cope with uncertainty and adjusting to a new sense of self. Ischaemic stroke survivors who experienced less uncertainty described that return to their prior daily routine, preventing another stroke, depended on a helpful support system including frequent follow‐up and communication with healthcare professionals. Conclusion: All ischaemic stroke survivors are at risk for complications during recovery, regardless of stroke severity. This study found that, even after experiencing minimal physical or cognitive symptoms, ischaemic stroke survivors can have difficulty adjusting to life after discharge. Relevance to clinical practice: Adjusting to life after a stroke during the first 4 weeks after discharge home is an in individualised experience. For the complex psychosocial and physical needs of ischaemic stroke survivors, nurses can play an important role beyond symptom management by fostering a dynamic relationship through individualised transitional care based on ischaemic stroke survivors experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a methodology that integrates strategic views for collaborative sensemaking through knowledge maps based on the Force Field Framework (3F). The objective of this work is to identify some of the benefits and challenges that facilitators may face when using 3F maps to help different groups gain a common understanding of issues around an emerging scenario. In particular this case study focuses on the 3F maps created by groups from several Universities in Europe (members of the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities: EADTU and of the ICOPER Best Practice Network) who were interested in integrating a global overview of Open Educational Resource (OER) issues with their Institutions' strategic activities. Participants created 3F maps to represent the key issues that OER offered for their Institutions. Each group presented their map and discussed their analysis. This was coordinated and supported by a facilitator. The resulting graphical representations and the discussions were then captured by a knowledge-mapping expert, using the social computing tool Compendium. This qualitative study analyses comments registered by facilitators, and visual representations created by participants both on paper and in Compendium. Initial findings are focussed on the general applicability of this methodology and discuss the main benefits and challenges to be addressed by facilitators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]