Top 10 research priorities relating to stroke nursing: a rigorous approach to establish a national nurse-led research agenda.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the top 10 research priorities specific to stroke nursing.


BACKGROUND
It is important that stroke nurses build their research capability and capacity. This project built on a previous James Lind Alliance prioritization project, which established the shared stroke research priorities of stroke survivors, carers and health professionals.


METHODS
Research priority setting project using James Lind Alliance methods; a survey for interim prioritization and a consensus meeting for final priority setting.


METHODS
Between September - November 2014, stroke nurses were invited to select their top 10 priorities from a previously established list of 226 unique unanswered questions. These data were used to generate a list of shared research priorities (interim priority setting stage). A purposefully selected group of stroke nurses attended a final consensus meeting (April 2015) to determine the top 10 research priorities.


RESULTS
During the interim prioritization stage, 97 stroke nurses identified 28 shared priority treatment uncertainties. At the final consensus meeting, 27 stroke nurses reached agreement on the top 10 stroke nursing research priorities. Five of the top 10 questions relate to stroke-specific impairments and five relate to rehabilitation and long-term consequences of stroke.


CONCLUSIONS
The research agenda for stroke nursing has now been clearly defined, facilitating nurses to undertake research, which is of importance to stroke survivors and carers and central to supporting optimal recovery and quality of life after stroke.
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, UK. a.rowat@napier.ac.uk.
Anne
A
Rowat
Nursing Midwifery and Allied Health Professions (NMAHP) Research Unit, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK.
Alex
A
Pollock
Nursing Midwifery and Allied Health Professions (NMAHP) Research Unit, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK.
Bridget
B
St George
Nursing and Health Care School, University of Glasgow, UK.
Eileen
E
Cowey
Institute of Applied Health Research, School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK.
Joanne
J
Booth
Institute of Applied Health Research, School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK.
Maggie
M
Lawrence
D017028:Caregivers; D006801:Humans; D015399:Nursing Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D012106:Research; D020521:Stroke / Q000451:nursing* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017741:Survivors; D006113:United Kingdom
funding; impact; nursing; patient and carer involvement; policy; research agenda; research priorities; stroke