Nurses’ and stroke patients’ perceptions of Health Education

Theoretical framework: Stroke causes multiple changes in the daily lives of patients and their families, but rehabilitation emerges an opportunity. The RNCCI (National Network of Integrated Continuous Care; Rede Nacional de Cuidados Continuados Integrados) facilitates rehabilitation, and health education enables the necessary change of attitude for rehabilitation. Objectives: To identify and disclose nurses’ and stroke patients’ perceptions of the Health Education practices in the RNCCI. Methodology: A qualitative study was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were performed to 8 patients and 17 nurses. The technique used was the content analysis of interviews. Based on previously established categories, other categories emerged. Results: Patients assigned nurses most of the responsibility for the rehabilitation process. Nurses associated the psychological aspects and the importance of family involvement with the patients’ adherence to the therapeutic regimen. Conclusion: While patients seem to be in the biomedical model, nurses point to the biopsychosocial model as a guide to their health education practices in the network.