Katy Cleber – Neuro Nurse Crash Course

Here’s the thing.

While the NCLEX® and nursing school did a great job of introducing neuro concepts and theory, there is so much more to know to safely care for neuro patients. It also prepares you for “perfect world” nursing, not the real world nursing you’re going to work in.

So what other neuro resources are out there?

There are text books, research articles, and professional nursing organization… but that information is far too technical. You need something to help you at the bedside now.

Nothing too broad, and nothing so detailed and highly technical that you can’t make sense of it. It’s crucial to break all of these really complex concepts down into terms that make sense for you – the bedside nurse new to neuro.

This is especially important because it will enable you to educate patients and loved ones better, while helping you know what to look out for in terms of complications and warning signs all while managing your time safely and efficiently.

And let’s be honest.

Being a nurse is tough. There is so much to know and it is constantly evolving.

This is especially true for newly licensed nurses.

While many of us know how to keep patients safe, a lot of us don’t know the why behind our actions for some time into our job. We are so focused on getting things done, staying caught up, and keeping patients safe that we don’t have time to ask specifically how mannitol reduce cerebral edema, why patients with a temporal lobe stroke have a high risk for seizure activity, or why the neurosurgeon always asks what the sodium level was.

We just give the mannitol… give the Keppra… and tell him or her the latest sodium level.

Only until we get into a groove can we even think about diving into the why behind things.

Sure, we passed a test or maybe even worked in another nursing unit, but just because we get hired into neuro and sit through some classes or pass some mandatory education tests doesn’t mean we get it. There’s so much pressure in those classes to say the right thing so can make sure you save face.

But… what if we didn’t have to wait until months after beginning our orientation to really get our minds around important information?

What if you could start your neuro job with a practical knowledge of neuro anatomy and disease processes so you could focus on learning the intricacies of your unit?

What if you had access to a resource to answer all of those questions that you could work through at your own pace?

What if you could learn about the must-know information to take care of neuro patients at home so you could look like a neuro rock star on the unit?