Essentials for Stroke Care Nursing

Kathy J. Morrison, MSN, RN, SCRN, FAHA is a certified stroke nurse, a Fellow of the American Heart Association, and a recipient of the prestigious Pennsylvania State Nightingale Award for Clinical Nursing Excellence. As the stroke program manager for the Penn State Hershey Medical Center, she oversaw all aspects of stroke care, from prehospital through stroke clinic follow-up until her retirement in 2021. She played a pivotal role in Penn State Hershey Medical Center's attainment of The Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center certification and has mentored many stroke program coordinators through the process of attaining Primary and Comprehensive Stroke Center certification. Ms. Morrison also served on The Joint Commission Expert Panel for Stroke Center certification standards. Ms. Morrison's published works have appeared in nursing journals and neuroscience course curricula. Her books Fast Facts for Stroke Care Nursing 1st & 2nd editions, Stroke Certification Study Guide for Nurses and Stroke Nursing Certification Review have been well received in the nursing community, both as handy guides for stroke care nurses and as preparation tools for the SCRN® certification exam. Even in retirement, she remains active in leading SCRN® review courses, participating in community stroke awareness campaigns and facilitating a regional stroke survivor support group. She established the Stroke Coordinators of Pennsylvania (SCoPA) in 2010--a group of stroke coordinators whose collaborative work has resulted in significant improvements in stroke care and outcomes in community hospitals across central Pennsylvania. She is a Fellow of the American Heart Association, a member of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, a board member of the Susquehanna Valley Chapter of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses and a board member of the Stroke Survivors Foundation.

Foreword by Linda Littlejohns




Preface




Part I - Foundations of Stroke Care




1. Timeline of stroke care evolution: How we got here




2. Basic Cerebrovascular Anatomy




3. Stroke Types




4. Physiology of Stroke




5. Associated Stroke Disorders




6. Diagnostics




7. Neurological Assessment




8. Severity Scores




Part II – Saving the Penumbra




9. Acute Ischemic Stroke Interventions




Part III –Procedural Interventions for Secondary Prevention




10. Ischemic Stroke




11. Hemorrhagic Stroke




Part IV –Key Stroke Care




12. Pre-hospital & Emergency Department (ED)




13. In the Stroke Unit




14. In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) by Susan J. Pazuchanics




15. Patient and Family as Members of the Team




Part V - Post-Acute Care Essentials




16. Rehabilitative Care




17. Secondary Prevention




Part VI – Primary Prevention Essentials




18. Primary Prevention




Part VII – Evidence-based Practice




19. Connecting data to clinical setting




Appendix –Neuroscience Terms




Index