Submission to:
The Canadian Journal of Neuroscience Nurses
Guest Editorial by Patrice Lindsay RN, PhD and
Theresa Green RN, PhD
March 4th, 2014
The field
of neuroscience nursing, and in particular nursing people with stroke, has
evolved significantly over the past two decades. Nurses working with people who have had a
stroke and their families are called upon to use advanced assessment skills, apply
nursing diagnoses across the whole continuum of care, and identify and
implement a wide range of interventions. As the volume of research evidence
across disciplines mounts, nurses are challenged to ‘keep up on the latest’.
The World
Stroke Organization (WSO) plays an important role in bringing stroke to the
forefront of the international agenda. To
increase our impact in the field of stroke and hence reduce the global burden
of stroke, we need support from as many Professionals as possible involved in
stroke care. Within this mission, the
WSO has recognized the important role nurses play in the care and recovery of
people with stroke across all phases of care and settings and from acute
hospital care to inpatient rehabilitation, community care, and long term care. The WSO has committed to the development of
an international community of stroke nurses.
This community will provide forums for sharing ideas, knowledge, resources,
tools, practical tips and other aspects of nursing science across the
globe. It is an opportunity for nurses
in more developed countries to mentor nurses working within stroke in lower and
middle income countries, and provide education and leadership.
The WSO is
calling on nurses from around the globe working in stroke to join together to improve
the lives of stroke patients and families regardless of where they live. To accomplish these commitments and enrich
the international community of stroke nurses, the WSO has taken many actions to
enhance membership opportunities and benefits for nurses, and they have also created
a special low-cost membership fee of $25 (USD) for nurses and allied health
professionals. In addition to being a
part of a global network of leading stroke and neurology experts, other membership
benefits include: online access to the International Journal of Stroke (IJS);
discount on the registration fee for future World Stroke Congresses as well as
dedicated sessions for nurses and allied health professionals which address
emerging topics in stroke patient care and recovery; eligibility to apply for WSO travel fellowships and awards; access to Webcasts/podcasts of WSO congress
sessions; to premium content of the revamped World Stroke
Academy – a series of online educational sessions on many stroke topics, with a
new module under development for nurses;
access to the WSO app with access to IJS and WSA; listing in and access to the WSO Membership
Directory; ability to vote for, be
nominated or elected to the Board of Directors and receipt of regular WSO newsletter. There are also opportunities to connect and
network with stroke nurses around the world using social media tools within the
WSO community.
In a recent
Canadian study on the implementation of stroke best practices, nurses were
identified as playing a leading role in many aspects of stroke care
and recovery. The WSO is providing an opportunity
to connect, share with, and learn from dedicated and committed stroke nurses
internationally. All nurses, from the
smallest villages to the largest cities are called upon to join together
through the WSO to improve the lives of stroke patients and their families.
For WSO
membership information, please go to: http://www.world-stroke.org/membership/member-categories
