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Free SCRN Practice Questions

10 free, exam-style Stroke Certified Registered Nurse (SCRN) (SCRN) practice questions with answers and explanations. No signup required. Work through them below, then take the full free SCRN practice test to study every exam domain.

The SCRN exam has 170 questions and runs 3 hours.

These 10 free SCRN questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Stroke Certified Registered Nurse (SCRN) blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.

Domain 1: Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology of Stroke 18.7% of exam

Question 1

A right-handed patient presents with weakness of the left face and arm that is more pronounced than the leg, along with neglect of the left side of the body. This presentation is MOST consistent with occlusion of which artery?

  1. Right anterior cerebral artery
  2. Right middle cerebral artery
  3. Left middle cerebral artery
  4. Right posterior cerebral artery
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Right middle cerebral artery

Question 2

In acute ischemic stroke, reperfusion therapies are aimed at rescuing a specific region of brain tissue. Which term describes the area of hypoperfused but still-salvageable tissue surrounding the irreversibly infarcted core?

  1. The ischemic core
  2. The penumbra
  3. The infarct scar
  4. The watershed zone
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - The penumbra

Question 3

A patient is brought in with acute left-sided weakness. The nurse knows that before attributing the deficit to stroke, one readily reversible mimic must be excluded immediately at the bedside. Which condition is it?

  1. Hypoglycemia
  2. Brain tumor
  3. Multiple sclerosis
  4. Bell's palsy
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - Hypoglycemia

Question 4

A patient presents with sudden onset of the 'worst headache of my life,' photophobia, and nuchal rigidity. Which type of stroke should the nurse suspect FIRST?

  1. Lacunar ischemic stroke
  2. Transient ischemic attack
  3. Embolic ischemic stroke
  4. Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Subarachnoid hemorrhage

Domain 2: Hyperacute Care 28% of exam

Question 5

A 68-year-old arrives with sudden right-sided weakness and aphasia; last known well was 90 minutes ago. The nurse is preparing to obtain the single most important initial test that will determine whether thrombolytics can be given. Which test is it?

  1. Non-contrast CT of the head
  2. MRI of the brain with diffusion-weighted imaging
  3. CT angiography of the head and neck vessels
  4. Carotid duplex ultrasound of the neck arteries
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - Non-contrast CT of the head

Question 6

A patient weighing 80 kg is eligible for IV alteplase for acute ischemic stroke. Using the standard 0.9 mg/kg dosing, what total dose should the nurse expect to administer?

  1. 90 mg
  2. 80 mg
  3. 72 mg
  4. 63 mg
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - 72 mg

Question 7

A stroke unit is transitioning to tenecteplase for acute ischemic stroke. A nurse who previously worked in cardiology must recognize that the stroke dose differs from the STEMI dose. What is the correct tenecteplase dose for acute ischemic stroke?

  1. 0.25 mg/kg, maximum 25 mg
  2. 0.9 mg/kg, maximum 90 mg
  3. 0.4 mg/kg, maximum 40 mg
  4. 0.5 mg/kg, maximum 50 mg
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - 0.25 mg/kg, maximum 25 mg

Question 8

IV alteplase has just been started. According to standard post-thrombolytic protocol, the blood pressure should be maintained below which value for the next 24 hours?

  1. 185/110 mm Hg
  2. 180/105 mm Hg
  3. 160/90 mm Hg
  4. 220/120 mm Hg
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - 180/105 mm Hg

Question 9

Two hours after receiving IV alteplase, a patient suddenly develops a severe headache, nausea, and an acute rise in blood pressure, with a decline in level of consciousness. What is the nurse's PRIORITY action?

  1. Give an antiemetic for the nausea and reassess the patient in 30 minutes
  2. Stop the infusion, notify the provider, and prepare for a stat head CT
  3. Administer an as-needed oral analgesic and continue routine monitoring
  4. Increase the alteplase infusion rate so the full dose is delivered faster
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Stop the infusion, notify the provider, and prepare for a stat head CT

Question 10

A patient with a large-vessel occlusion of the middle cerebral artery is being evaluated for mechanical thrombectomy. In carefully imaging-selected patients, thrombectomy may be considered up to how many hours from last known well?

  1. 6 hours
  2. 12 hours
  3. 48 hours
  4. 24 hours
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - 24 hours

The rest of the SCRN blueprint

The SCRN exam also covers these domains. Drill them in the full free practice test:

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