Laveeza Butt

1 Introduction In recent decades, evidence-based nursing practice has become a fundamental approach towards improving patient health and safety (Mackey and Bassendowski 2017; Youngblut and Brooten 2001).

BACKGROUND As the largest group of healthcare professionals, nurses have the most direct contact with patients and exert a significant influence on patient outcomes. In particular, evidence suggests that factors such as registered nurse (RN) staffing and educational levels affect a variety of key outcomes including inpatient mortality, falls, medication errors, hospital-acquired infections, pressure injuries, and more (Aiken et al., 2021; Djukic et al., 2019; Musy et al., 2021).

1. Introduction Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability around the world, resulting in over 143 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYS) lost per year [1]. The disease causes significant disruptions in survivors’ lives as they experience a range of physical, psychological, and cognitive impairments.