Download NIHSS Certification Exam Review: Scoring and Administration Guidelines and more Exams Cardiology in PDF only on Docsity! NIHSS CERTIFICATION EXAM REVIEW What does NIHSS stand for? - correct answer National Institute of Health Stroke Scale What are 6 important conventions to remember when scoring a NIHSS? - correct answer Administer scale items in EXACT order Avoid coaching the patient Accept the patient's first effort Score only what the patient does Be consistent Include all deficits in scoring When administering an NIHSS what is important to remember about the order of the test? - correct answer Do not change the order of the testing, go in exact order to reproduce results. A nurse is administering a NIHSS. He/she re preforms the test after a poor first result. The patient scores much better on the second attempt. Which test result should the nurse record in the patient's records? Why? - correct answer The first attempt. Only first attempts are recorded as an attempt to keep the NIHSS uniform throughout healthcare. What is the first item of the NIHSS? 1A - correct answer Level of Consciousness What are the four score levels for item 1A? - correct answer 0 = Alert 1 = Not alert, aroused with minor verbal stimulation 2 = Not alert; requires strong or painful stimulation 3 = Reflex movements only or totally unresponsive How should a level 3 patient be stimulated? - correct answer Rubbing on the chest, painful stimuli During a NIHSS the nurse is not sure whether to score the patient a 1 or a 2. What should they do? - correct answer Continue to ask the patient questions about orientation until they are confident about which category to place them in. What is important to remember reguarding score changing on item 1A? - correct answer It is the only time you are allowed to go back and change a score. How do you perform LOC item 1B? - correct answer Ask the patient their age and the current month How do you record the score on LOC item 1B? - correct answer 0 = both questions are correct 1 = one answer is incorrect 2 = both questions are incorrect When asking the patient's age, instead of a numerical value they give you their date of birth. Is that correct or incorrect? - correct answer This is considered incorrect. During questioning of the current month (we'll say it's currently January), the patient first says May and then corrects themselves and says January. How do you record this? - correct answer This is considered an incorrect answer. Only accept the initial answer, and no partial credit is given.
