Mary Pinzon, RN, M.Ed., Community Education Specialist
INTEGRIS James R. Daniel Stroke Center at Southwest Medical Center

Abstract

• Lack of organized and coordinated dissemination of public knowledge about stroke risk, warning signs, and emergency response continues to be a major obstacle to improving stroke care.
• Parish nurses, volunteer nurses and nursing students can be valuable resources for stroke risk information for congregations. 
• This project was designed to increase stroke awareness and risk identification utilizing community nursing personnel.

Goals and Objectives: 

• Identify alternative resources for promoting stroke prevention in community.
• Discuss developing partnerships with underutilized community nursing resources.
• Learn strategies for enhancing stroke prevention efforts in congregations.
• Widely and effectively disseminate model project findings for ease of replication.

Methods

Parish nurses from four congregations who provide blood pressure screenings were paired with volunteer nurses and local nursing students under faculty supervision.  Nursing students and volunteer nurses given additional training about stroke risk assessment, warning signs and patient education to teach screening participants.

Educational presentations to congregations first Screenings included risk factors, blood pressure and total cholesterol with results and counseling available

Summary of group results submitted to congregation

Community Resources

• Local nursing programs (LPN to RN, RN to BSN) for community health experiences
• Pre-screening class on stroke risks, warning signs and blood pressure update with new JNC7 guidelines
• Gives tools for counseling participants and buy-in by  nurses for “spreading the word about stroke”
• Parish nurses and congregational health nurses and nurse ministries with their volunteer nurses
• American Heart Association
• Stroke Risk Assessment forms
• Literature for blood pressure, warning signs and symptoms of stroke, and risk factors
• “Nurses In Churches” blood pressure and stroke update for parish and congregational nurses

Conclusion

• Partnering with parish nurses, volunteer nurses and nursing students can increase availability of public education and knowledge of stroke. 
• Because parish nurses often have established  programs for providing regular blood pressure screenings, participants can be more proactive in monitoring and/or lowering their modifiable risk factor of hypertension.
• Working with nursing students also creates increased awareness of stroke and provides additional voices for stroke prevention in their own community and congregation.

Bibliography

Schwamm, LH, et al (2005). 
Recommendations for the establishment of stroke systems of care.  Stroke, 2005;
36:690-703.
 
Lindsey, J. (2000).  Implementing a stroke risk assessment program in a community setting.  Journal of Neuroscience
Nursing, 32 (5):  266-270.
 
Patterson, D. (2003)  Essential parish Nurse: ABCs for Congregational Health Ministry.  Cleveland, OH:  Pilgrim Press.