Aim

To describe healthcare professionals’ experience of needed competence in patient stroke care within specialist and primary healthcare.

Background

Healthcare professionals who provide stroke care need multifaceted, multi-professional skills; ongoing training is important for competent stroke care.

Design

A descriptive qualitative study.

Methods

Six focus group interviews with semi-structured interviews were conducted in October and November 2020. Healthcare professionals (n = 25) working in stroke care units in both specialist and primary healthcare settings were interviewed. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed inductively by content analysis. The study was conducted, and results were reported according to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research.

Results

Five main categories were identified: clinical competence; multiprofessional networking competence; competence in interaction skills; emotional and psychoeducational support competence; and self-management and development competence.

Conclusion

Competence in stroke care includes both in-depth and wide-ranging professional competences that require ongoing development. Utilizing various education models and collaborative learning approaches can help meet the requirements for developing competence in stroke care.