Course Description:

This learning activity provides an overview of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and its relevance and significance within healthcare. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of how to evaluate each category on the scale are provided.
Several versions of this scale will be presented, including versions to evaluate pediatric individuals who may be experiencing a stroke. A discussion about using this scale for populations such as those experiencing altered levels of consciousness and aphasias is included.  
A discussion on the modified version of the NIHSS (mNIHSS) for frequent neurological assessments is also presented. The learning portion of this course is accompanied by a test group of scenarios. 
Any clinician who encounters and treats people with stroke-like symptoms, confirmed active stroke, or a history of stroke will benefit from this training. This scale may be used by clinicians along the entire continuum of stroke treatment, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, prehospital care professionals, and rehabilitation therapists.  
Successful completion of this activity provides a 2-year certification to the learner from HealthStream.