Revista Portuguesa de Enfermagem de Reabilitação (Dec 2020)

TRIAGE AND ACTIVATION OF THE CODE STROKE PROTOCOL: DIFFICULTIES EXPERIENCED BY NURSES

  • Anna Caroline Leite Costa,
  • Leonel São Romão Preto,
  • Ilda Maria Morais Barreira,
  • Léia Arcanjo Mendes,
  • Fernanda Lopes Araújo,
  • André Filipe Morais Pinto Novo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.33194/rper.2020.v3.n2.14.5829
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3, no. 2
pp. 96 – 101

Abstract

Read online

Background: The triage process contributes to early stroke treatment, reducing mortality and disability. Objective: To analyze nurses' difficulties in triage and activating the Code Stroke protocol. Method: Descriptive and cross-sectional study. The data were collected, by convenience sampling, in an emergency medical-surgical service through a questionnaire. Results: The sample included 21 nurses (39.7±7.4 years), mostly women (71.4%). In terms of professional experience, the working time in emergency department was 9.5 (±6.2 years). The verbal and physical violence of patients and family members was the most mentioned difficulty regarding triage. About 29% partially and 19% fully agree that inadequate information about two symptoms at the time of onset constitutes a difficulty in activating the Code Stroke. Conclusion: Triage and the Stroke Code protocol are considered facilitators of care, with sporadic difficulties in some phases of the process.

Keywords