Neurology Nursing

Neurological assessment fundamentals for nurses, covering level of consciousness, pupillary response, motor strength grading, GCS components, and documentation standards.

Stroke recognition and initial management for nurses — ischemic vs. hemorrhagic comparison, BE-FAST, last known well, NIHSS domains, CT priority, treatment windows (tPA and thrombectomy), acute nursing priorities, and NCLEX pearls.

Increased intracranial pressure for nurses — Monro-Kellie doctrine, CPP formula, ICP causes, early vs. late signs, Cushing's triad, nursing interventions, positioning rules, and NCLEX pearls.

Seizure nursing care covering seizure types, ictal phases, safety priorities during a seizure, antiepileptic medications, and documentation requirements.

Bacterial vs viral, the classic triad and meningeal signs (nuchal rigidity, Kernig's, Brudzinski's), lumbar puncture and CSF findings, droplet precautions, prompt antibiotics, and increased-ICP complications.

Concussion through severe TBI, GCS severity grading, primary vs secondary injury, epidural (lucid interval) vs subdural hematoma, increased ICP and Cushing's triad, and preventing secondary brain injury.

Parkinson's disease nursing care: the TRAP cardinal signs, dopamine deficiency, carbidopa-levodopa timing and the on-off phenomenon, fall and aspiration safety, and the never-stop-abruptly rule.

Multiple sclerosis nursing care: CNS demyelination and the relapsing-remitting course, hallmark symptoms, heat sensitivity (Uhthoff's), relapse vs pseudo-relapse, and disease-modifying therapies.

Myasthenia gravis (descending fatigable weakness) vs Guillain-Barré (ascending paralysis): the shared airway threat with FVC/NIF monitoring, myasthenic vs cholinergic crisis, and respiratory priorities.

Spinal cord injury nursing care: injury levels and predicted function, spinal vs neurogenic shock, and autonomic dysreflexia, the hypertensive emergency at or above T6, its triggers, and the response.

Primary headaches (migraine, tension, cluster) vs dangerous secondary causes, migraine phases and aura, the headache red flags (SNOOP), abortive (triptans) vs preventive therapy, trigger management, and nursing priorities.

Bell's palsy (CN VII facial paralysis, eye-protection priority, corticosteroids) vs trigeminal neuralgia (CN V lancinating facial pain, carbamazepine, trigger avoidance), and nursing priorities.

GCS scoring reference — Eye, Verbal, and Motor subscores with criteria, total score interpretation, and neurological nursing considerations for trauma, stroke, ICU, and post-op settings.

Cranial nerve assessment chart for nurses — all 12 cranial nerves (CN I–XII) with function, bedside test, and abnormal finding at a glance, plus critical escalation findings including herniation and stroke signs.

Stroke comparison chart for nurses — ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke (ICH), TIA, and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) compared by cause, key findings, CT appearance, tPA eligibility, BP management, and initial priority.

ICP signs and symptoms chart for nurses — early through late intracranial pressure signs with mechanism, nursing action, and urgency at a glance, including Cushing's triad and herniation warning signs.

What's inflamed (meninges vs brain tissue), the dominant features (meningeal signs vs altered mentation and focal deficits), common causes, CSF and diagnosis, treatment, and nursing priorities, side by side.

Bleeding source (arterial vs venous), speed of onset, the classic lucid interval, CT shape (lens vs crescent), typical population (younger trauma vs elderly/anticoagulated), and nursing priorities, side by side.

Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, Guillain-Barré, ALS, and Huntington's by pathology, hallmark signs, cognition, key treatment, and top nursing priority.

Myasthenia gravis and Guillain-Barré by direction of weakness, reflexes, onset/trigger, course, treatment, and the shared airway threat — descending fatigable vs ascending areflexic.

Function preserved and lost by injury level from high cervical (C1–C4) through lumbosacral — ventilator dependence, autonomic dysreflexia risk (T6 and above), and bowel/bladder/mobility implications.

Upper vs lower motor neuron lesions by tone, reflexes, muscle bulk, fasciculations, and Babinski, with where common neuro diagnoses fall — spastic CNS vs flaccid peripheral weakness.

Migraine vs tension-type vs cluster headache — location and quality, duration, associated features (aura, nausea, tearing/congestion), typical patient, and treatment (triptans, NSAIDs, high-flow oxygen), side by side.

Bell's palsy (CN VII) vs trigeminal neuralgia (CN V) compared by hallmark, triggers, drug of choice (corticosteroids vs carbamazepine), and priority nursing concern, side by side.