From critical care to guiding patients through life after a stroke

Story by: Sara Thompson on July 2, 2021

If you ask Rosa Hart, BSN, R.N., SCRN, patient navigator with Norton Neuroscience Institute Resource Center, what drew her to working with stroke patients, she will tell you about the amazing recoveries she’s seen.

“I’ve watched the transformation of patients who could not move regain some or all of their function after being treated. And I have seen this with my own eyes and it changed my life,” Rosa said.

Rosa started her nursing career in the intensive care unit (ICU) for Norton Healthcare. Valentine’s Day 2020 was her last day of critical care before moving to her current role as a stroke nurse navigator for the Norton Neuroscience Institute.

Help in the area of need

Rosa’s native Tennessee is one of about 11 states that fall in the “stroke belt,” an area of the southeastern U.S. where the risk of having a stroke is higher than the national average. Kentucky is another.

“People in this area have many factors that affect their health and increase their chance of having a stroke. For instance, so many people still smoke,” Rosa said.

So, you could say she has her work cut out for her.

Helping patients who have had a stroke

Rosa’s job as a nurse navigator is to help patients recovering from stroke who have been sent home from the hospital. This is done over the phone. The nurse navigator performs a variety of interactions with the patient including:

• Medication review
• Coordinating with the patient’s doctors to ensure the quality of care continues when the patient leaves the hospital
• Smoking cessation counseling (if needed)
• Identifying financial/transportation barriers to care
• Coordinating free dietitian counseling, community counseling services and providing information on support groups

In her spare time

In addition to her work with Norton Healthcare, Rosa is a mother of two and wife to a Jefferson County Public Schools teacher. But her new passion is local restaurant reviews for her blog and podcast, “The Lou Review.”

“I love visiting local places and sharing hidden treasures,” Rosa said.

“The Lou Review” is on Facebook and Instagram as well as its website.