Learn about the NIH Stroke Scale Certification and what training most healthcare facilities require. Here’s what you need to know about this certification as it relates to working with ShiftMed.
The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale
The NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is a critical component of acute stroke assessment. This scale is a widely used diagnostic method by healthcare providers and professionals for assessing the severity of a stroke experience by a patient. This tool assesses the cognitive effects of a stroke and measures several aspects of brain function, including consciousness, vision, sensation, movement, speech, and language. By monitoring trends in the NIHSS, healthcare professionals can track the patient’s response to treatment.
Every second counts when a stroke victim presents to the hospital.
NIHSS Certification
Getting a NIHSS certification is a great way for any healthcare professional to further their skills and knowledge focusing on neurology and stroke patients. Healthcare professionals with this certification will be able to evaluate and document neurological status and/or symptoms in acute stroke patients and compare the deficits over time.
Additionally, this certification will unlock other opportunities at ShiftMed for healthcare professionals to pick up available shifts related to this expertise.
American Heart Association’s NIH Stroke Scale Course
You can get the appropriate training through the American Heart Association (AHA), which offers the NIH Stroke Scale course - NIH Stroke Scale Training Program. This training program consists of instruction, demonstration, and certification. The program was developed to allow healthcare providers and/or professionals to return to the course after specified time periods to refresh their skills and demonstrate their continued proficiency of this tool by successfully assessing a sequence of test scenarios. The scenarios in each test group are distinct to reassure proficiency of the scale over time.
The American Stroke Association, along with the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) collaborated to establish this CME/CE certified, online training program for healthcare professionals to study or review how to administer the NIH Stroke Scale for acute stroke assessment. The cost is free for all AHA members and $10 for all other registrants.
What does the NIHSS certificate course entail?
The certificate course modules through the AHA include six groups: Group A, B, C, D, E, and F, each group contains six patients. The evaluation of one entire group is deemed satisfactory for a course completion certificate.
Test Group A certification is valid for one year, but renewable at 6 months, if needed. Then, the remaining tests may be used to renew your certificate which is normally required between six to twelve months after you have successfully completed the previous test group.
It is recommended when returning to review the training and tests themselves to utilize a new group of certification patients. Unlike Test Group A, the remaining test groups, Group B – F, are valid for 24 months, but renewable after 12 months as most organizations require yearly certifications.
A CME/CE certificate may be claimed only once per test group and will reflect the date the certificate was originally claimed and printed.
If you have questions about NIHSS certification as it relates to the ShiftMed credentialing process, please contact us at (800) 485-9002.