Empowering patients with spinal cord injury

Abstract

A person who experiences a spinal cord injury (SCI) is often faced with significant alterations to nearly every aspect of their day-to-day life. Providing patients with SCI and their families all the key education during an inpatient rehabilitation stay is challenging for nurses due to short inpatient stays. Rehabilitation nurses and other clinicians must prioritize teaching the information and skills most essential for a safe discharge. After transitioning back into the community, people with SCI will have significant ongoing needs for trustworthy health information that will help them restore, maintain, and promote optimal health and function. This article provides background information and selected trustworthy resources, developed by health professionals and persons with SCI, that nurses can share with their clients. We also provide an online resource that can be shared with persons with SCI and their families that covers educational sources, health information, individual support, and online peer groups and mentoring.