This book is the result of keen interest of authors in improving the nursing care of patient with neurological problems.

This book deals with most common as well as rarely found neuro conditions.

This book has been organized into several small units which discuss the definition, etiology, pathology, signs and symptoms, and management, especially the role of nurses in the management, based on the nursing process approach.

The language is simple and easy-to-understand, short and well- concised. This book is written in a point-to-point stepwise pattern, which will help the students to understand easily.

I am sure this book will not only be useful for the nursing students but will also serve as a handbook and a lifelong companion to the nursing professionals.

I am confident that the book will fulfill its aim of raising the standard of nursing care of patients with neurological and neuro- surgical problems. I compliment the authors for their maiden venture and wish them every success.

This edition has one new chapter Nursing Management of Patient with Ventilator (Chapter 27). It has sharpened the focus on presenting most current, relevant, practical, concise information on neuronursing.

In fact, this book is the outcome of the felt need of the authors. Having worked in the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) for the last three decades and a few years in Neurocenter of NIMHANS, we experienced the non-availability of books on Neuroscience Nursing especially by Indian authors. So, with lots of apprehension and equal amount of enthusiasm, we have taken up this project.

Neuroscience nursing has undergone many changes in the last few years, along with the changes happened in neurological and neurosurgical practices. The different authors books, written at different stages, are influencing neuroscience nursing also. In the last three decades, there are Neuroscience Nursing books written by nursing professionals but a few in number. We hope the availability of more number of books can strengthen the knowledge and practices of nurses in this field in future.

This text is arranged in four units, which includes 27 chapters. Unit One has five chapters, discussing the overview of neuronursing and its new challenges, review of anatomy and physiology of nervous system, neurological examination—nurses’ role, diagnostic procedures in neurological conditions—nurses’ role, and interventional neuroradiology—nurses’ role. The objective of this unit is to make the nurses aware of the normal anatomy, 10the nurses’ role in different investigations and examinations in neuroscience. This knowledge should, in turn, help the nurses to identify the alarming signs of different neurological conditions, which need immediate action.

Unit Two has three chapters. Major number of neurological conditions are due to the deficits occurring from various disease entities. So, this unit explains a few of such conditions and its nursing management. Mainly management of patients with unconsciousness, urinary incontinence and aphasia are discussed in this unit.

Unit Three has 14 chapters. It covers almost all neurological conditions with their definition, etiology, signs and symptoms, investigations and diagnostic procedures, management in general and nursing management in particular. It is also dealing with all neurosurgical conditions and its management.

Unit Four has five chapters. It talks about the common drugs used in neurosurgical conditions, nurses’ role in rehabilitating the patients’ neurological, neurosurgical conditions, summary of common problems identified by nurses in those conditions, nursing diagnosis and the nursing intervention. One chapter of this unit gives the role of nurse in the prevention of the neurological and neurosurgical conditions. The last chapter is a new chapter which gives the nursing management of patients who need ventilator care.

This book gives the nursing care of almost all conditions seen in neurocenters. Not only the books but also the experience in neurocenter of NIMHANS, the exposure to the Institute of Neurological Sciences Southern General Hospital, Glasgow (UK) and Western General Hospital, Edinburgh (UK), Queen's Medical Center, Hawaii (USA), Kapiolani Hospital, Hawaii (USA), helped the authors to complete this work.

The authors used simple language, in brief length to explain the essentials of neuronursing in this particular text. This can be used by the general nursing students, nurses working in neuro- centers, students undergoing diploma in neuronursing, diploma in psychiatric nursing, nurses sponsored by WHO (World Health Organization) and KSHDP (Karnataka State Health Development Program) who undergo short-term training programs in neuro- nursing. This book can be used even by the undergraduate students in nursing courses and any other personnel who wish to have short-term training program in neuronursing.11

We acknowledge our sincere thanks to the ward supervisors and nurses of neurocenters for their contributions of the practical experience, which helped us to complete the work successfully. We also thank the Neurologists, Neurosurgeons, Radiologists and other professionals who were directly or indirectly responsible for the completion of the project.

We thank Prof M Gourie Devi, Director/Vice-Chancellor of NIMHANS (Deemed University), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India for her kind words of encouragement. We also thank Dr (Mrs) K Reddamma, Professor and HOD of Nursing, NIMHANS, Dr KVR Shastry, Professor of Neurosurgery, Dr P Kodandaram, Additional Professor of Clinical Psychology, Mr AV Ramaswamy (Assistant Administrative Officer), for their encouragement and support for writing this book.

We place our deepest gratitude towards Dr (Mrs) G Kasthuri, Principal, Government College of Nursing, Fort, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India for her good self for writing the Foreword for this book. In spite of her busy schedule and the short notice from our side, she extended her sincere encouragement and made herself to write a well-worded Foreword for this attempt.

Finally, we record our thanks to all our family members and well-wishers who were with us from the day one to the completion of this work with their constant and commendable encouragement.

We thank M/s Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd, for undertaking the publication of this book and fulfilling the requirement of all nursing students and nurses working with neuropatients.

We are sure that this book will be useful for the nursing community who work with patients of neurological and neurosurgical problems.

Neuroscience nursing has undergone many changes in the last few years, along with the changes happened in neurological and neurosurgical practices. The different authors books, written at different stages, are influencing neuroscience nursing also. In the last two decades, there are Neuroscience Nursing books written by nursing professionals but a few in number. We hope the availability of more number of books can strengthen the knowledge and practices of nurses in this field in future.

This text is arranged in 4 units, which includes 26 chapters. The 1st unit has 5 chapters, discussing the overview of neuronursing and its new challenges, review of anatomy and physiology of nervous system, neurological examination—nurses’ role, diagnostic procedures in neurological conditions—nurses’ role, and interventional neuroradiology—nurses’ role. The objective of this unit is to make the nurses aware of the normal anatomy, the nurses’ role in different investigations and examination in neuroscience. This knowledge should, in turn, help the nurses to identify the alarming signs of different neurological conditions, which need immediate action.

The 2nd unit has 3 chapters. Major number of neurological conditions are due to the deficits occurring from various disease entities. So this unit explains a few of such conditions and its nursing management. Mainly management of patients with unconsciousness, urinary incontinence and aphasia are discussed in this unit.14

The 3rd unit has 14 chapters. It covers almost all neurological conditions with their definition, etiology, signs and symptoms, investigations and diagnostic procedures, management in general and nursing management in particular. It is also dealing with all neurosurgical conditions and its management.

The 4th unit has 4 chapters. It talks about the common drugs used in neurosurgical conditions, nurses’ role in rehabilitating the patients’ neurological, neurosurgical conditions, summary of common problems identified by nurses in those conditions, nursing diagnosis and the nursing intervention. The last chapter of this unit gives the role of nurse in the prevention of the neurological and neurosurgical conditions.

This book gives the nursing care of almost all conditions seen in neurocenter. Not only the books but also the experience in neurocenter of NIMHANS, the exposure to the Institute of Neurological Sciences Southern General Hospital, Glasgow (UK) and Western General Hospital, Edinburgh (UK), Queen's Medical Center, Hawaii (USA), Kapiolani Hospital, Hawaii (USA), helped the authors to complete this work.

The authors used simple language, in brief length to explain the essentials of neuronursing in this particular text. This can be used by the general nursing students, nurses working in neuro- centers, students undergoing diploma in neuronursing, diploma in psychiatric nursing, nurses sponsored by WHO (World Health Organization) and KSHDP (Karnataka State Health Development Program) who undergo short-term training programs in neuro- nursing. This book can be used even by the undergraduate students in nursing courses and any other personnel who wish to have short-term training program in neuronursing.

We acknowledge our sincere thanks to the ward supervisors and nurses of neurocenter for their contributions from the practical experience, which helped us to complete the work successfully. We also thank the Neurologists, Neurosurgeons, Radiologists and other professionals who were directly or indirectly responsible for the completion of the project.

We thank Prof M Gourie Devi, Director/Vice-Chancellor of NIMHANS (Deemed University), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India for her kind words of encouragement. We also thank Dr HM Gangadharaiah, Professor and HOD of Nursing NIMHANS, Dr KVR Shastry, Professor of Neurosurgery, Dr P Kodandaram, 15Additional Professor of Clinical Psychology, Mr AV Ramaswamy (Assistant Administrative Officer) for their encouragement and support for writing this book.

We place our deepest gratitude towards Dr (Mrs) G Kasthuri, Principal, Government College of Nursing, Fort, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India for her good self for writing the Foreword for this book. In spite of her busy schedule and the short notice from our side, she extended her sincere encouragement and made herself to write a well-worded Foreword for this attempt.

Finally, we record our thanks to all our family members and well-wishers who were with us from the day one to the completion of this work with their constant and commendable encouragement.

We thank M/s Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd, for undertaking the publication of this book and fulfilling the requirement of all nursing students and nurses working with neuropatients.

We are sure that this book will be useful for the nursing community who work with patients of neurological and neurosurgical problems.