Neuroscience

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center offers three (3) inpatient levels of Neuroscience Nursing providing care to patients experiencing acute neurological injuries, disorders, and neurosurgeries. Each unit trains our nurses to provide specialty care allowing them to grow as nurses and advance their clinical skills. Dartmouth Health neuro nurses work across the continuum collaboratively with our Stroke Program to maintain our status as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, receiving annual education and training to care for the sickest stroke patients.

Our Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) provides the highest level of monitoring for patients with seizures and epilepsy, including scalp and intracranial electrodes, and post-op care following epilepsy surgery. EMU nurses gain additional subspecialty education, and those with a deeper interest can participate in the AANN Certificate Program for the Seizure and Epilepsy Professional. We encourage our nurses to become ABNN certified as CNRN or SCRN and obtain Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS).

Neuroscience/ENT Unit

The Neuroscience/ENT Unit is a 31-bed general medical-surgical level unit for Neuroscience and Ear, Nose, and Throat patients.  The EMU is five cohorted video-EEG monitored rooms for safe monitoring.  Nurses work collaboratively with our Neurology, Stroke, Neurosurgery, ENT, and Rehab teams to provide specialized nursing care to patients with:

  • Ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes
  • Seizures and Epilepsy
  • Brain and/or spinal cord tumors/injuries
  • Headaches
  • Post-op head and neck cancer surgeries, including tracheostomy and total laryngectomy

Neuroscience Special Care Unit (NSCU)

Stepdown nurses provide care in the NSCU in a continuous care environment with full bedside monitoring capabilities. Patients require more nursing care than the general Neuroscience/ENT unit can provide, but do not need acute critical care. 1:3 nurse-to-patient ratio. Located right next to the NCCU, NSCU nurses grow their neuroassessment and critical thinking skills with higher acuity patients including:

  • Post-operative craniotomies
  • Acute ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Complex spine surgeries
  • Lumbar Drains/External Ventricular Drains
  • Complex ENT/Head and neck cancer surgeries
  • Continuous cardiac monitoring
  • Vasoactive drips
  • NSCU staff also frequently manage patients with complex respiratory, medical, and multi-trauma needs.

Neurocritical Care Unit (NCCU)

Opened in July 2019, the NCCU is the only dedicated Neurocritical Care Unit in Northern New England.  This unit allows patients with acute neurological events to be cared for by a dedicated team of Neurointensivists, Advance Practice Providers (APP), specialty trained Neurocritical Care nurses, Rehabilitation providers, and Care Managers.  Neurocritical Care nurses work collaboratively with an APP-led team where their input and expertise are respected.  Nurses participate fully during bedside rounds and are offered opportunities to attend weekly Neurocritical Care APP didactic sessions.  NCCU nurses marry general critical care training with advanced neuro assessment skills and monitoring while managing the sickest neuroscience patients.  They have additional training and competencies for managing neurological emergencies, intracranial pressure monitoring, and the Zoll intravascular cooling device.

Opportunities exist for nurses to build foundational specialty skills and continue to grow within the Neurosciences and D-HH.  Based on your interests, we strive to help you find your path with coaching and mentoring; whether it is to be a preceptor or charge RN, to advance your neuro skills to a new care level, or to validate your knowledge through certification as a CNRN or SCRN.  We reward and recognize service excellence with annual awards, including the Neuroscience Nurses Award during Nurses Month.

Neuroscience nurses who began their careers in the specialty have gone on to pursue advanced practice nursing roles in Cerebrovascular Neurology, Neurocritical Care, and Clinical Nurse Specialists, as well as in Nursing leadership, education, Quality and Safety, the Neurology Clinic and Neuroscience research.

“I enjoy working as a nurse in the Neuro ICU because it provides me with a diversity of experiences that expand my nursing skills. I am able to collaborate with a great team of professionals, and together we meet the complex needs of these patients and their families.”

~ Olivia Young, BSN, RN
Neuro Critical Care Unit
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Neurology Clinics (outpatient)

The Neurology Clinic provides specialized care to a unique and vulnerable population – from seizures, strokes, headaches, multiple sclerosis, dementia to ALS, and everything in between. The neurology clinic is a fast-paced clinic, with over 28,000 visits annually. The neurology team is a growing specialty with highly sought-after providers, and care team members, to support patient needs. This care team consists of a professional community of Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, nurses, social workers, medical assistants (MA), nursing assistants (LNA), and secretaries working to ensure patient care needs are met.  Together this team supports the continued care needs of the neurology patient and their loved ones. The role of the nurse in the neurology clinic is vital to symptom management, triage, patient education, in clinic procedures as well as collaborative and independent nurse visits. The nursing team is structured to provide support to specific subspecialties while cross-covering for other specialties to allow for a positive work/life balance. The clinic is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, allowing for the nursing team to have consistency with their schedule and maximize their time outside of work.

Come join the growing team in the neurology clinic, where we strive to care for patients and each other to enhance the experience for all!

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