Exploration of Nurses’ Preventive Practices for Aspiration Pneumonia Among Poststroke Patients at a Teaching Hospital in Ghana: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Patients who have experienced a stroke are at risk of developing aspiration pneumonia. The risk of aspiration pneumonia is often attributed to dysphagia, which is a condition observed in stroke patients due to the weakening of the muscles involved in swallowing. Nursing care related to oral hygiene, feeding, positioning, and mobilization can reduce the risk of aspiration pneumonia in poststroke patients. This study aims to explore nurses’ experiences with prevention practices for aspiration pneumonia in poststroke patients. Methods: This study employed a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive design. Twelve registered nurses were recruited from the stroke unit of a Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana. Data were collected through in-depth, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews, using an interview guide. The data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The findings revealed two main themes and five subthemes about nurse practice to prevent aspiration pneumonia in poststroke patients. They included prevention practices, describing what participants thought were prevention practices for aspiration pneumonia. The second theme, attitudes towards prevention practices, generated the participants’ beliefs and attitudes as they related them to carrying out various prevention practices. Highlights of the findings included the participants’ detailed descriptions of the preventative measures they utilized and their positive attitudes towards the various patient-centered prevention practices they detailed. These encompassed a dynamic process of care, attentiveness to signs and symptoms of aspiration in poststroke patients, and perceptions of the negative aspects of prevention practices. Conclusions: Nursing practice should place strong emphasis on the critical role nurses play in preventing respiratory complications, particularly aspiration pneumonia, in poststroke patients. In addition, further research into the burden of pneumonia among stroke survivors and the effectiveness of nurse-led preventive interventions is essential for enhancing the quality of poststroke care.