Nurses' perspectives on their specialist stroke roles in London

Aim: This paper is a report of a study exploring nurses’ perspectives on their developing roles in specialist stroke care in London. Method: Nine paired semi-structured interviews with nurses working across the stroke care pathway in London were completed in 2011, recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: The emergent themes included receiving support from fellow nurses, good communication but minimal involvement with the multidisciplinary team, unclear career pathways, and a positive ethos among the nurses. The nurses’ responses indicated that they remain passionate and caring. They expressed interest in being more closely involved with the decision-making process within the multidisciplinary team. Conclusion: An understanding of the complex nursing roles within the new London stroke care pathway has emerged. Clear pathways of progression from band 5 to band 6 are being developed