NIH Stroke Certification: Overview and FAQ
Imagine a patient speaks to you, and you notice one side of their mouth drooping when it wasn’t earlier in your shift. Do you know what to do? With an NIH stroke certification, you would. The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was created to help clinicians evaluate patients experiencing cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs). And no matter what clinical area you work in, it’s a helpful certification to earn and maintain.
Someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds. In addition, research finds that one in six deaths from cardiovascular disease can be attributed to a stroke event, and many patients who survive them are left with long-term disabilities. Recognizing the symptoms of a stroke and responding quickly is the best way to mitigate the effects.
While acute strokes are most often seen in the emergency department, they can happen anywhere. Whether you work in med-surg, critical care, psych nursing, or another area, knowing how to respond if a patient has a stroke could save lives. The NIHSS certification is one of the easiest to add to your nursing resume, so let’s dig into what you should know about it.
What Is an NIHSS Certification?
The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale Certification validates a clinician’s ability to assess stroke severity in patients. The stroke scale is a standardized tool with 11 assessment categories to gather data on deficits from stroke. These individual categories are each rated on a continuum, and the assessor must evaluate them in the correct order. At the end of the assessment, results from each category are added together for a total score.
The NIH stroke scale categories include:
- Level of consciousness assesses the patient’s orientation, how arousable they are, and whether they are responsive to commands.
- Best gaze evaluates ocular problems.
- Visual fields assess a patient’s ability to see in different quadrants.
- Facial palsy assesses asymmetry or weakness in facial muscles by asking the patient to smile, show teeth, and raise eyebrows.
- Arm motor abilities evaluate upper body strength by having the patient lift and hold both arms parallel to the floor.
- Leg motor abilities test lower body strength by having the patient lift and hold a leg at 30 degrees.
- Limb ataxia evaluates coordination and fine motor skills by asking the patient to do specific tasks with their arms and legs.
- Sensory uses a light touch and pinprick stimuli to check for sensory deficits.
- Best language asks the patient to name objects, repeat phrases, and follow verbal commands.
- Dysarthria tests speech clarity by asking the patient to repeat words and phrases.
- Extinction and inattention check whether the patient can detect sensory stimuli on both sides of the body.
How to Get the NIH Stroke Certification: 4 Steps
If you’re looking for a fast credential to add to your skill set, consider an NIH stroke certification. For nurses, this credential may also count towards your continuing education credits for licensure renewal.
There are several online educational groups that offer the course for free, but many employers require the American Heart Association (AHA) NIH stroke certification. This course is unique, because it includes follow-up learning every several months so you can keep your skills fresh. To complete this course, follow these steps:
Step 1: Register For Your Group
You’ll need to create an account with the American Heart Association and pay the NIHSS registration fee. If you’re an AHA member, the course is free, but if not, it’s $10.
There are six test groups, each with six patients. If you’re taking the course for the first time, enroll in Group A. When you return for continuing practice, you’ll move on to B, C, etc. The course is set up so that each time you retest, you’ll evaluate a different group of test patients. This variation in patient scenarios gives you experience with different simulated experiences and helps you keep your skills up to date.
Step 2: Take the Course
The course is made up of several videos. These include instruction, demonstrations with virtual patients, and scenarios. By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Recognize and evaluate neurological deficits in stroke patients.
- Comprehend the measurement scale used to quantify neurological deficits in stroke patients.
- Consistently assign accurate scores for neurological deficits in stroke patients.
- Utilize the scale to monitor changes in neurological deficits over time.
- Use “Test Completion” certificates to document compliance (valid for up to one year).
As long as you don’t need to repeat the exam, the course takes about two hours to complete, and is worth two continuing education hours.
Step 3: Take the Exam
Complete the test at the end of the course materials. You’ll need to rate a test group of three patients using the NIHSS. If you rate more than six items incorrectly, you won’t pass, but you can retake the assessment again. Once you’ve passed the exam, you’ll also need to give feedback to the AHA before accessing your virtual credential and continuing education credits.
Step 4: Maintain Your Skills
Six months after completing Group A, you can return to the AHA site and complete the Group B assessment. The same passing rules apply, and you can retake the assessment if you don’t pass any group the first time. After Group B, you’ll wait a year before taking Group C, and another year between each next group (up to Group F).
NIHSS FAQs
How long does the NIH stroke certification last?
It depends on which certifying body you go through. The AHA’s certification lasts for up to one year, and their retesting strategy helps you maintain your certification and your skills over time. Plus, you won’t have to pay to recertify and keep your skills updated.
Can you get the NIHSS certification online?
Yes, there are several organizations that offer courses and exams online. Be sure that the course you choose is an accredited continuing education provider, and that your employer will accept the credential.
Is there a free NIH stroke scale certification?
Yes, you can find NIHSS certification for free online. Some employers require employees to go through specific instructors, so be sure the course you choose fits these requirements.
Who should be NIHSS certified?
NIHSS certification is valuable for any healthcare professional working in settings where stroke patients might be encountered, such as intensive care units, rehabilitation centers, and long-term care facilities. The certification ensures that these professionals are equipped with the skills to perform consistent and reliable stroke assessments, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
While anyone can take the course and become certified, this credential is typically held by healthcare professionals, such as:
- Nursing assistants
- Nurses
- Nurse practitioners
- Clinical researchers
- Emergency medicine physicians
- Medical residents
- Neurologists
- Paramedics and first responders
How should I prepare for the NIHSS exam?
The exam immediately follows the course material, so pay attention as you watch the modules to absorb the information. You might want to review these additional materials before the exam and have them handy as you rate the test patients:
Additionally, review these materials before you sit for the other exam groups. If you don’t often see stroke patients in the clinical setting, you might want to take a practice test. But remember, if you don’t pass the NIHSS exam, you can take it again to learn from the mistakes you made.
Related Certifications
- Cardiopulmonary Rescue (CPR)
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Advanced Stroke Life Support (ASLS)
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
- Stroke Certified Registered Nurse (SCRN)
- Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS)
- Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC)
- Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN)
- Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN)
- Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP)
Find Nursing Opportunities, Fast
An NIH stroke certification can boost your confidence when it comes to assessing strokes. If you’re looking for other ways to advance your skills, a new nursing job could be the next step. IntelyCare’s personalized job notifications help nurses build their careers around their lives.