Caring for patients with hemiplegia in an arm following a stroke.

The patient's arm affected by hemiplegia is a common problem following a stroke. The term hemiplegia is a limited physiological description of the effects of a stroke on a patient's limb. Any nurse involved in the care of stroke patients must possess essential knowledge on the pathophysiology of hemiplegia and its subsequent treatment and care management programmes. This article reviews the stroke literature for patients with arms affected by hemiplegia. It describes common complications that may arise and subsequent preventive care management strategies that need to be considered. Finally it discusses why success in rehabilitation and recovery programmes need to be considered from the patient's perspective and measured in the context of the patient's experiences and feelings of well-being.