STROKE CARE

Course overview

Nurses work with patients on the front lines of disease and disability. For those of us who’ve practiced in this profession for even a few years, we’ve likely seen the debilitating effects which cerebrovascular accidents can take on our patients, the healthcare system as a whole, and the pocket books of the American people. Stroke is a high-ranking cause of disability in the United States[1] and costs about 33 billion dollars a year. Worse yet, strokes kill nearly 130,000 Americans annually.[2] To prevent patient deaths and life-long disability, nurses must understand the pathophysiology of stroke, identify the signs and symptoms, and recognize evidence-based practices for treating and preventing this deadly product of cardiovascular disease.