Global

Stroke recognition and neurological observations: Bedside competency for registered nurses

A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 14 details that are specific to your organisation.

See the live deckSee the full outline
Try the coursePreview the survey
Length
40 min
Lessons
6 lessons
Frequency
At onboarding to acute or stroke areas
Last reviewed
21 Oct 2026
Pupils, limbs, speech and grey areas
What would you do?

Mr Salazar, bed 3, is slightly more drowsy than at the last set, but his other observations look similar

Try it: this is one of 20 interactive activities in the course.

What's included

Three pieces that work together

Copy once, get everything. Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck.

Self-paced course

Short lessons with real workplace scenarios, not walls of text.

  • 6 lessons, about 40 minutes
  • Process, scenario, flashcards, sorting activity and quizzes

Live session deck

An AhaSlides presentation to run after the course, in person or online.

  • 10 slides
  • Quiz, word cloud, poll, scale slides
  • A closing slide for your contacts

Two surveys

Find out what landed, and whether people use it on the job.

  • Post-course feedback, about 2 minutes
  • 30-day check-in
  • Anonymous by default
  • Results feed your next refresher

Learning objectives

At the end of this course, learners can

Each objective and the lesson that covers it.

IDObjectiveSourceWhere it's covered
TO 325.0Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessmentnoneWhole course
SO 325.1Recognise the signs of a suspected stroke, note the time last known well and start the local pathway + your infoExamples: FAST and BE-FAST; National Clinical Guideline for Stroke (RCP); NICE NG128; AHA/ASA acute ischaemic stroke guidelines; best practiceWhole course
SO 325.2Know when to do neurological observations, what to record and how to spot change + your infoExamples: local neuro-observation policy; NEWS2; best practiceWhole course
SO 325.3Score the Glasgow Coma Scale components (eye, verbal, motor) accurately and record them using the local chart + your infoBest practiceWhole course
SO 325.4Check pupils, limb power and speech, document findings and escalate using the local triggers + your infoExamples: local escalation policy; NEWS2; best practiceWhole course
SO 325.5Keep a person safe during and after a seizure, escalate using the local protocol and hand over using a structured tool + your infoExamples: NICE NG217; best practiceWhole course

Your part: what a template can't do for you

  • Your workplace details: fill in the 14 highlighted fields so the course describes your own policies, contacts and locations.
  • Records: record completion in your own LMS or record system.

Course outline

6 lessons, about 40 minutes

Minutes per lesson are an estimate, shared out by page count.

ContentInteractiveVideoYou customise
1

Why speed and accuracy matter

3 pages

7 min
Before you beginNoteList
A change on the medical wardTextImageChecklistYour infoYour info
Time and changeKey factFlashcardsQuiz
2

Recognising stroke fast

3 pages

7 min
The signs in briefTabsNote
Which sounds like a stroke?Sorting activity
Last known wellFlashcardsMatching quiz
3

Neurological observations and the Glasgow Coma Scale

3 pages

7 min
What and whenAccordion
The Glasgow Coma ScaleProcessYour infoNote
CheckChecklistQuiz
4

Pupils, limbs, speech and grey areas

3 pages

7 min
ScenarioScenarioYour infoQuiz
ScenarioScenarioYour infoYour infoQuiz
Match the findingMatching quizSorting activity
5

Handover, speak up and apply

3 pages

7 min
A structured handoverProcessNote
Who to tellProcessYour infoYour infoYour infoYour infoNote
ScenarioScenarioQuizButtonYour info
6

Final assessment

2 pages

5 min
PracticeQuiz
CompletionKey factListNoteButtonYour info

Live deck and surveys

10 slides to run live, two surveys to close the loop

Pink slides are interactive. Both surveys are anonymous; pink questions are written for this course.

ContentTitle, agenda, "in a stroke, minutes count; in obs, change counts" (speaker notes: template page URL)
Word cloudOne word for how a suspected stroke feels on the ward
PollHow often do you do neurological observations? (Every shift · Weekly · Monthly · Rarely)
ContentThe recognition signs and the GCS routine
QuizA patient suddenly has facial droop and slurred speech. You…" (Stay, call for help, note the time last known well ✔ · Wait to see · Give a drink · Finish your task)
QuizLast known well means…" (The last time the person was free of the new symptoms ✔ · When you found them · The time of admission · The time of the last obs)
Content · customiseCustomise: our stroke pathway, neuro obs chart and seizure protocol" with {{LOCAL_STROKE_PATHWAY}}, {{LOCAL_NEURO_OBS_CHART}}, {{LOCAL_SEIZURE_PROTOCOL}}
ScaleHow confident are you scoring and recording the GCS?" 1 to 5
Open-ended / Q&AA neuro observation I would like to talk through
Content · customiseClosing {{CLINICAL_EDUCATION_CONTACT}}, {{SURVEY_2_URL}}, {{COURSE_URL}}
Post-course feedback: 11 questions, about 2 min
  1. Overall rating 5 stars
  2. Relevant, realistic, right length, helpful activities agree/disagree grid
  3. What was most useful? multi-select
  4. Confidence before this course, and now 1-5 scale
  5. How confident are you escalating a change in neurological observations? 1-5 scale
  6. Which change have you tried? multiple choice
  7. What barrier have you met in trying it? short text
  8. I can raise a concern about a patient's observations without fear of blame. 1-5 scale
  9. One thing we should change or add open text
  10. Would you recommend this course? NPS
30-day check-in
  1. Have you used what you learned since the course? multiple choice
  2. How confident are you today? Compare with day 1 1-5 scale
  3. Do you know where to find the local neurological observation policy? yes / no / not sure
  4. A moment where the training helped, or where you weren't sure open text
  5. Which topics should the next refresher focus on? ranking

Results show whether people use the training on the job, not just whether they finished it.

Make it yours

14 fields to fill in, and you're ready

Everything else is done. These are the details only your organisation knows; each one is highlighted inside the course.

  • Clinical education contact{{CLINICAL_EDUCATION_CONTACT}}
  • Local policy link{{LOCAL_POLICY_LINK}}
  • Incident reporting route{{INCIDENT_REPORTING_ROUTE}}
  • Escalation route{{ESCALATION_ROUTE}}
  • Regulator and standards{{REGULATOR_AND_STANDARDS}}
  • LMS or record system{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}}
Show all 14 fields
  • Local stroke pathway{{LOCAL_STROKE_PATHWAY}}
  • Local neuro obs chart{{LOCAL_NEURO_OBS_CHART}}
  • Local seizure protocol{{LOCAL_SEIZURE_PROTOCOL}}
  • Structured handover tool{{STRUCTURED_HANDOVER_TOOL}}
  • Survey 1 URL{{SURVEY_1_URL}}
  • Survey 2 URL{{SURVEY_2_URL}}
  • Course URL{{COURSE_URL}}
  • Live session URL{{LIVE_SESSION_URL}}

FAQ

Common questions

Can I run stroke recognition and neurological observations: Bedside competency for registered nurses training online?

Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.

How often is this training needed?

At onboarding to acute or stroke areas, annually for competency validation, and after a delayed-recognition incident review.

Who needs this training?

Registered nurses and newly qualified nurses on acute, medical, emergency and stroke wards who perform and escalate neurological observations; run by the nurse educator or clinical education lead, with the stroke team as guests.

What records should I keep?

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.

Can I edit the content?

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.

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Last reviewed: 21 October 2026Templates are a starting point, not legal advice.

Ready to run it?

Open the live deck to see how the session runs alongside the course and both surveys.

See the live deck