SCRN case studies
SCRN · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Stroke Certified Registered Nurse (SCRN) credential is a specialty nursing certification awarded by the American Board of Neuroscience Nursing (ABNN) to registered nurses who demonstrate knowledge of stroke nursing fundamentals. It is built for RNs who care for stroke patients across the whole continuum - hyperacute, acute, post-acute, and secondary and preventative care - in settings such as stroke units, emergency departments, neuroscience ICUs, and inpatient rehabilitation. The SCRN case studies are 5 cases and about 3,373 words.
1Wake-Up Stroke, Large Vessel Occlusion, and a Spoke Hospital Without Thrombectomy
At 06:40 a 74-year-old right-handed man is brought in by his wife, who found him on the floor beside the bed. She last spoke with him at 22:30 the previous night, when he was completely normal.
680 words, about 3 min2Dizziness, an NIHSS of 2, and a Premature Discharge Plan
A 58-year-old woman with hypertension and a 30-pack-year smoking history presents at 09:20 with sudden onset at 07:45 of 'the room spinning,' two episodes of vomiting, double vision, and veering to the right when she walks. She is pale and diaphoretic.
620 words, about 3 min3Permissive Hypertension, Autoregulation, and a Standing Order That Doesn't Fit
An 81-year-old man with a 30-year history of hypertension and type 2 diabetes is admitted 9 hours after symptom onset with a right MCA territory infarct. He is not a candidate for thrombolysis or thrombectomy.
655 words, about 3 min4Severe Neglect, Anosognosia, and a Discharge Plan That Won't Work
A 69-year-old retired teacher is on hospital day 3 after a right MCA infarct. NIHSS is 12: dense left hemiplegia, severe left neglect, and striking anosognosia.
681 words, about 3 min5A Family in Conflict, a Large Infarct, and Whether to Start Anticoagulation
An 84-year-old woman with atrial fibrillation (CHA2DS2-VASc 6, HAS-BLED 3, previously on warfarin with variable INR control) and mild vascular cognitive impairment had a large left MCA infarct 5 days ago. NIHSS is 16: dense global aphasia, dense right hemiplegia, and she cannot reliably express preferences.
737 words, about 4 min