You are now viewing our public site. Back to Dashboard

A Comprehensive Review of Stroke for Nurses

Enhance your understanding of the full range of nursing care for stroke survivors and their families!

Subscribe Now Already a subscriber? Sign in to start.

About this Certificate Program

Nurses in all care settings must address a variety of needs to ensure optimal outcomes for the stroke survivor and their family across the care continuum. This program is tailored to provide nurses with the knowledge to clinically care for stroke survivors utilizing the rehabilitation philosophy, in addition to addressing the needs of young stroke survivors, and individuals who experience a mild stroke. The Comprehensive Review of Stroke Certificate prepares nurses to address the full scope of stroke nursing care, including care transitions, community resources and reintegration, and palliative care. Nurses who successfully complete this seven-course program will enhance their clinical decision-making and improve the quality of care to optimize clinical outcomes for stroke survivors and their families.

Target Audience

Nurses (RNs, LPNs, UAPs) practicing in an acute, rehabilitation, or outpatient environment who see patients with stroke.

Goals & Objectives

  • Describe nursing and rehabilitation care for stroke survivors across the continuum of care.
  • Explain the nurse’s role in facilitating care transitions and resources for community resources and reintegration.
  • Explain care considerations for specific populations, i.e. young stroke survivors and mild stroke survivors.
  • Describe the process of palliative care and advance directives for survivors of stroke.

What's Included in the Certificate Program

Courses
Accredited Online Courses*

11 hours of online video lectures and patient demonstrations.

Courses
Case Study Interviews

Recorded Q&A sessions between instructors and practice managers.

Courses
Interactive Learning Assessments

Case-based quizzes to evaluate and improve clinical reasoning.

Section 1: Nursing Care Across the Continuum of Care

4 Chapters

Rehabilitation Nursing for CVA and Strokekeyboard_arrow_down

Course
  • Introduction to StrokeChapter 1

    Stroke is the leading cause of significant disability in adults and has a notable impact on society. The rehabilitation nurse has an important role in prevention of stroke. This chapter covers the prevalence of stroke, stroke risk factors, and stroke prevention.

  • Pathophysiology of Stroke and Emergent CareChapter 2

    Understanding the anatomy of the brain and how the location of stroke determines the patient’s clinical presentation can help rehabilitation nurses provide more effective care. This chapter briefly reviews the anatomy of the brain, areas of control related to different causes of stroke, and resulting clinical presentation.

  • Stroke Treatment Across the ContinuumChapter 3

    Treatment of stroke occurs across the continuum of care, from emergency care through return to the community. Stroke management includes diagnostic, pharmacologic, surgical, and rehabilitation interventions. This chapter provides a brief review of emergency and acute care management of stroke, followed by the nursing assessment and intervention to optimize stroke recovery.

  • Stroke and the Family SystemChapter 4

    Stroke is not only a crisis for the patient, but it also has a significant impact on his/her family system. Patients who survive a stroke often require assistance from a family caregiver. In this chapter, the assessment and identification of needs of the caregivers and interventions to promote caregiver health will be described.

  • View full course details »

Stroke Care From Onset Through Post-Acute Carekeyboard_arrow_down

Course
  • Introduction to StrokeChapter 1

    Stroke is the leading cause of significant disability in adults, which can have a detrimental impact on families and the society. The nurse has a role in prevention of stroke through the identification and reduction of stroke risk. This chapter covers the prevalence of stroke, stroke risk factors, and stroke prevention.

  • The Pathology of StrokeChapter 2

    Nurses need to understand the anatomy of the brain and how the location of stroke determines the patient’s clinical presentation. This chapter briefly reviews the anatomy of the brain and areas of control, and the different causes of stroke. The clinical presentation of stroke is described.

  • Acute Stroke TreatmentChapter 3

    Treatment of stroke begins with emergent and acute care. Stroke management includes diagnostic, pharmacologic, surgical, and other nursing interventions. This chapter provides a brief review of emergent and acute care management of stroke.

  • Stroke Treatment Across the Post-Acute ContinuumChapter 4

    Treatment of stroke begins with emergent and acute care. Stroke management includes diagnostic, pharmacologic, surgical, and other nursing interventions. This chapter provides a brief review of emergent and acute care management of stroke.

  • View full course details »

Section 2: From Hospital to the Community

3 Chapters

Nursing’s Role in Care Transitions from Acute Care to Post-Acute Carekeyboard_arrow_down

Course
  • Nursing Assessment and PlanningChapter 1

    Nurses need to recognize the risks associated with care transitions in order to contribute to the transition plan for stroke survivors. The importance of nursing assessment and the nurse’s contribution to the transition plan is described.

  • Care Transitions Models and ResourcesChapter 2

    Nurses need to understand the resources available for transitioning patients and their caregivers, as well as the Care Transition Models used to guide practice. This chapter reviews evidence-based care transitions models and provider and patient resources to optimize care transitions. Priorities for care transitions for differing stroke severity are described.

  • The Post-Acute Continuum of CareChapter 3

    Many stroke survivors utilize services in the post-acute care continuum. Factors such as criteria for admission and the scope and intensity of service are reviewed. Outcomes of stroke survivors served in the different levels of post-acute care are described.

  • View full course details »

Post-Stroke Resources and Community Reintegrationkeyboard_arrow_down

Course
  • Post-Discharge Needs of Stroke Survivors and Family CaregiversChapter 1

    Family-centered care requires that the health care team identify and address the needs and concerns of patients and their families. In this chapter, the most common post-discharge needs of stroke survivors and their caregivers are discussed to help nurses, therapists, and other health care providers recognize these needs in order to better tailor care plans for post-discharge support and follow-up.

  • Assessing and Addressing Post-Discharge NeedChapter 2

    A systematic and comprehensive assessment can help identify post-discharge needs and establish priorities for referrals and follow-up care. In this chapter, the elements of a comprehensive assessment are discussed and strategies for working with stroke survivors and family members to prioritize follow-up care are recommended.

  • Community Reintegration and Resources Addressing the Long-Term Needs of Stroke Survivors and Their FamiliesChapter 3

    Stroke survivors and their family members are often unaware of available community and web-based resources that can provide support and facilitate community reintegration post-stroke. In this chapter, community- and web-based resources addressing the post-discharge needs of stroke survivors and their family members will be described. Novel programs and resources that nurses, therapists, and other health care providers might consider implementing in post-discharge stroke care will be discussed.

  • View full course details »

Section 3: Stroke in Specific Populations

3 Chapters

The Role of the Nurse in Care of Persons With Mild Strokekeyboard_arrow_down

Course
  • Mild Stroke Etiology and SymptomsChapter 1

    Rehabilitation nurses need to understand the risk factors and etiology of mild stroke and recognize the signs and symptoms of mild stroke. This chapter covers the risk factors, etiology, and signs and symptoms of mild stroke.

  • Common Deficits of Mild Stroke and RehabilitationChapter 2

    Rehabilitation nurses need to recognize the common effects of mild stroke on cognition, language, mood, ADLs, and mobility to develop an appropriate plan of care. This chapter briefly reviews common deficits seen in mild stroke patients and how rehabilitation interventions improve functioning. The sequelae of gaps in necessary rehabilitation care will be explored.

  • Psychosocial, Vocational, and Family Issues Related to Mild StrokeChapter 3

    Mild stroke may have significant psychosocial effects on the stroke survivor and impact the entire family system. Issues such as the impact on the family, psychosocial effects, and the impact of vocational participation are reviewed in relation to rehabilitation outcomes among survivors of mild stroke.

  • View full course details »

Stroke in Young & Middle-Aged Adults: Ages 18 to 64keyboard_arrow_down

Course

Section 4: Additional Interventions

3 Chapters

Palliative Care and Advance Directives After Strokekeyboard_arrow_down

Course
  • Introduction to Palliative Care and Advance DirectivesChapter 1

    Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S., and the risk of death in the first five years post-stroke is approximately 50%, with the highest risk in the first year. In order to provide family-centered care, knowledge about palliative care approaches are critical for nurses who provide care to stroke patients and their family members. This chapter includes definitions and key principles of palliative care and provides the rationale for why implementing palliative care approaches are critical for many stroke patients and their families.

  • Palliative Care and Stroke: Current ResearchChapter 2

    In order to provide evidence-based palliative care, nurses need to understand the current state of the science of palliative care research, and its application when caring for stroke patients. This chapter provides an overview of the current research in palliative care and stroke, identifies gaps in research, and includes suggestions for future studies.

  • Recommendations for Nurses Caring for Stroke PatientsChapter 3

    The final chapter provides recommendations for nurses who provide care for stroke patients and their families across the care continuum. Tools for assessing palliative care needs will be discussed. Palliative care resources, including clinical guidelines that nurses can use when working with stroke patients, will be shared.

  • View full course details »
Instructors
Michelle Camicia

PhD, RN, CRRN, CCM, NEA-BC, FARN, FAHA, FAAN

Barbara Lutz

PhD, RN, CRRN, APHN-BC, FAHA, FNAP, FAAN

CEU Approved

11 total hours* of accredited coursework.
MedBridge accredits each course individually so you can earn CEUs as you progress.

      Our clinic could not be happier with MedBridge.

Amy Lee, MPT, OCS
Physical Therapy Central

       MedBridge has allowed us to create a culture of learning that we were previously unable to attain with traditional coursework.

Zach Steele, PT, DPT, OCS
Outpatient Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Services

    MedBridge has created a cost-effective and quality platform that is the future of online education.

Grant R. Koster, PT, ATC, FACHE
Vice President of Clinical Operations, Athletico Physical Therapy

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get CEU credit?
Each course is individually accredited. Please check each course for your state and discipline. You can receive CEU credit after each course is completed.

When do I get my certificate?
You will receive accredited certificates of completion for each course as you complete them. Once you have completed the entire Certificate Program you will receive your certificate for the program.

*Accreditation Hours
Each course is individually accredited and exact hours will vary by state and discipline. Check each course for specific accreditation for your license.

Do I have to complete the courses in order?
It is not required that you complete the courses in order. Each Certificate Program's content is built to be completed sequentially but it is not forced to be completed this way.

How long do I have access to the Certificate Program?
You will have access to this Certificate Program for as long as you are a subscriber. Your initial subscription will last for one year from the date you purchase.

Sample Certificate

Sample Certificate

Complete this series to receive your certificate.

Subscribe Now

Certificate Program
Earn an official certificate of completion from MedBridge.
  • Show the world your achievement
  • Share your course record with peers and employers
  • Show patient and clients your commitment to education

Sign up to get free evidence-based articles, exclusive discounts, and insights from industry-leaders.

Join our newsletter to get the latest updates delivered straight to your inbox.

MedBridge blog posts and emails

Request a Demo

For groups of 5 or more, request a demo to learn about our solution and pricing for your organization. For other questions or support, visit our contact page.