The Rehabilitation Nurse’s Role in the Care of a Stroke Patient With a Movement Disorder

Hyperkinetic movement disorders are defined as excessive, abnormal involuntary movements such as chorea, ballism, and athetosis ( Mehanna & Jankovic, 2013 ). Hemiballismus/hemichorea is the most common movement disorder to occur after a stroke ( Bansil et al., 2012 ; Tater & Pandey, 2021 ). These movements are described as vigorous, irregular movements on one side of the body ( Mehanna & Jankovic, 2013 ). While most poststroke movement disorders are temporary, there is a chance that they may persist long term, which can significantly affect that person's quality of life. When symptoms are identified, treatment and education should immediately be initiated to accelerate recovery. Many articles have been written describing the problem, but few articles describe how to care for these individuals. If the rehabilitation nurse is not familiar with common medication management, side effects, or hyperkinetic movements, important medical and functional changes could be missed. This is a case that describes a 54-year-old female patient who experienced an ischemic posterior cerebral artery stroke resulting in hemiballismus/hemichorea. This case will review the nursing assessment and the implementation of interventions to address this patient's special needs including safety, nutrition, sleep, medication management, and aspects of care for patients with a hyperkinetic movement disorder after stroke and highlight how rehabilitation nurses can integrate their knowledge into practice.