Ischemic Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack

Course overview

Ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack are among the most time-sensitive conditions a nurse will encounter, and the quality of nursing recognition and management directly shapes whether a patient recovers function or lives with lasting disability. This 6.0 contact hour course offers a comprehensive review for LPNs, RNs, and APRNs, moving from the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia through recognition and prehospital systems, emergency assessment and neuroimaging, intravenous thrombolysis, endovascular thrombectomy, acute stroke unit care, complications and prognosis, and secondary prevention. It emphasizes the work that falls to nursing, including establishing last known well, administering the NIH Stroke Scale, managing blood pressure and physiologic targets, screening for dysphagia, recognizing hemorrhagic transformation and cerebral edema, and supporting adherence and recovery after discharge. Case-based scenarios, reference tables, and branded figures reinforce practical application, equipping nurses to integrate current evidence-based practice, including the 2026 AHA/ASA guideline for the early management of acute ischemic stroke, into safe and confident bedside care. Learning Objectives By the end of this course, the participant will be able to: Explain the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke, including the ischemic cascade, the distinction between the infarct core and the penumbra, and the role of collateral circulation in determining the reperfusion window. Identify ischemic stroke syndromes by vascular territory and recognize the presentations most often missed, including posterior circulation stroke, stroke mimics, and stroke chameleons. Describe the acute stroke evaluation, including door-to-needle parallel processing, administration of the NIH Stroke Scale, and the role of noncontrast CT, CT angiography, and perfusion imaging in treatment selection. Apply the nursing priorities of intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy, including weight-based dosing, blood pressure thresholds, the monitoring cadence, and recognition of hemorrhagic complications. Develop a plan for acute stroke unit management, complication prevention, and mechanism-specific secondary prevention that incorporates dysphagia screening, physiologic targets, and safe transitions of care.