The role of neuroplasticity in stroke nursing

Abstract

Background: Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to reorganise and change in response to experience or after brain damage. Neuroplasticity is an imperative component of recovery from stroke, and rehabilitation aims to capitalise on this during a patient's recovery. Aims: To highlight the role of neuroplasticity in stroke recovery and to explore how stroke nursing can use it. Methods: The paper is a narrative review of the literature on neuroplasticity and role of nursing in stroke recovery. Findings: Nurses can play a pivotal role in ensuring optimum conditions for neuroplasticity through a variety of means. These include the encouragement of repetition, integration of repetition into everyday tasks, creating a stimulating environment, educating stroke patients as well as their carers about the recovery process and working as part of multidisciplinary team. Conclusions: This paper highlights the important role stroke nursing can play in enhancing neuroplasticity during stroke recovery.