Stroke Certification Study Guide for Nurses

Kathy J. Morrison, MSN, RN, CNRN, SCRN, FAHA, is a certified neuroscience nurse, a certified stroke nurse, a Fellow of the American Heart Association, and a recipient of the prestigious Pennsylvania State Nightingale Award for Clinical Nursing Excellence. As the stroke program manager for the Penn State Hershey Medical Center, she oversees all aspects of stroke care, from prehospital through stroke clinic follow-up. She played a pivotal role in Penn State Hershey Medical Center's attainment of The Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center certification and has mentored many stroke program coordinators through the process of attaining Primary and Comprehensive Stroke Center certification. Ms. Morrison serves on The Joint Commission Expert Panel for Stroke Center certification standards.Ms. Morrison's published works have appeared in nursing journals and neuroscience course curricula. Her book, Fast Facts for Stroke Care Nursing, has been well received in the nursing community, both as a handy guide for stroke care nurses and as a preparation tool for the SCRN® certification exam. In addition to speaking nationally on stroke-related topics, she is active in community stroke screenings and awareness lectures and facilitates a regional stroke survivor support group. She established the Stroke Coordinators of Pennsylvania (SCoPA) in 2010—a group of stroke coordinators whose collaborative work has resulted in significant improvements in stroke care and outcomes in community hospitals across central Pennsylvania. She is a Fellow of the American Heart Association, a member of the American Heart Association Professional Education Committee and Hospital Accreditation Science Committee, a member of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses Advocacy Committee, and a board member of the Susquehanna Valley Chapter of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses.