Nursing's Role in Neurology Care

Neurology nursing occupies a distinctive and demanding space within the broader nursing profession. Neurology nurses frequently care for patients over the course of decades—often from the time of a life-altering diagnosis through years of disease progression—building relationships that extend well beyond the clinical encounter. The conditions they manage, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, myasthenia gravis, and other chronic neurological diseases, are complex, incurable, and deeply intertwined with a patient's sense of identity, independence, and daily function. This makes the emotional and relational dimensions of the role as clinically significant as the technical ones.

Within this context, nurses in neurology serve a function that is difficult to overstate. They are often the first point of contact when a patient calls with a new symptom, the person who determines whether a change in function warrants urgent evaluation or watchful waiting, and the consistent presence who keeps a patient engaged with their care over many years. In a specialty where continuity matters enormously—and where trust between patient and provider can directly influence treatment adherence and quality of life—nurses are essential connective tissue within the care team.

In honor of National Nurses Week, observed May 6 to 12, 2026, NeurologyLive® reached out to 2 neurology nurses with expertise in multiple sclerosis (MS) to reflect on what makes the specialty unique and what it demands of those who practice it. Jeffrey Hernandez, DNP, APRN, a registered nurse at the University of Miami with 16 years of experience in neurological care, and Bonnie Blain, RN, president of the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses (IOMSN), brought complementary perspectives shaped by years of direct patient care and advocacy for the nursing profession in the neurology space.

In the conversation, Hernandez and Blain discussed what distinguishes neurology nursing from other specialties, the clinical and interpersonal qualities they consider most essential to the role, and what both nurses and neurologists should keep in mind to build and sustain high-functioning, patient-centered care teams.

NeurologyLive: From a nurses perspective, what makes caring for patients with neurologic conditions unique compared with other specialties?

Bonnie Blain, RN: I think that neurology nursing is unique probably because many neurological conditions are chronic, they're complex, and they're actually deeply personal, as well. So we're not just managing medications and symptoms—we're also helping our patients adapt to changes in mobility, cognition, and independence, and with their ability to work and their identity, as well.

Jeffrey Hernandez, DNP, APRN: I agree with what Bonnie said. I think that another added benefit, or uniqueness, to neurology nursing is the bond that we establish with our patients, which is typically lifelong, since this is an incurable disease. They learn to work with us, we learn to work with them, and they know that we're available whenever they need us.

In your experience, what qualities or skills are most important for nurses working in neurology care settings?

Jeffrey Hernandez, DNP, APRN: There are a few important qualities for neurology nurses, in particular when it comes to chronic diseases like MS. The top one that comes to mind for me is communication. Communication is extremely, extremely important when it comes to how you convey the information to someone who is in a situation where they might be very stressed—someone who is assimilating information that’s all new to them, they’re newly diagnosed, and they’re not having the best time of their life right now.

Being empathetic is the other thing that comes to mind. Those two are at the top for me. Understanding that while you may not be able to really mimic or understand the exact scenario occurring with that person who’s in need at the moment, understanding that they may not respond as quickly, or they need time to understand and reflect on what's going on before they give a concrete answer. Just being patient with them—I think those are the real top qualities that nurses in neurology, specifically with MS or chronic diseases, really need, aside from the clinical assessment.

I think nurses are the glue that holds us together when it comes to the providers seeing the patients, the patients, and the nursing team because they're the ones that really pick up sometimes on these really important details when they're getting history or they’re triaging a call. What might be a relapse? Why might it not be a relapse? What makes it different? What's the urgency of the scenario—do they need to go to the hospital versus wait and see? Nurses are integral in that aspect, and the patients oftentimes, because they've built this relationship with the nurse, feel very comfortable just giving it all to them and relaying whatever they're feeling at that time, and it’s really important to take into consideration when making clinical decisions and/or giving advice.

Bonnie Blain, RN: I think you've certainly done a great job of answering that question. I think that listening is one of our most important clinical skills and spending the time listening to patients, because we can really pick up on the subtle clues or the subtle changes, and that helps everybody. It's central to patient outcomes.

What should nurses and neurologists keep in mind to maintain a high relationship?

Jeffrey Hernandez, DNP, APRN: I think it's funny that Bonnie mentioned listening for the prior question, because I think that's probably also number one here—listening to each other. Being respectful and communicating with each other is really important to maintain a good relationship between the entire team, really. Nurses again many times, in many clinical settings, are the glue that holds everything together. They're not just managing medications or symptoms—they're really looking at the entire picture. How does the clinic operate? How do we make life easier for everyone in the clinic and for the patients? How do we make sure that every patient gets the care that they need and deserve? Keeping that in mind, the respect that goes between the providers and nurses is really top notch. You understand that we provide different perspectives and have different training, and that's okay—there's no problem with that. We're all trying to serve the patient. We have a shared goal, and we're collaborating to provide that patient what they need for their care, and to make sure they have the best quality of life and are on the best treatment that fits their needs and is most appropriate for the clinical scenario. So I think that listening, as Bonnie mentioned, communicating effectively with each other, and again knowing that everyone has their training and their expertise—we understand that—but we all bring something different to the table, and therefore we all really do need to listen to each other.

Bonnie Blain, RN: I agree, and I think in neurology the interdisciplinary team is such an important concept. It would be very difficult I think for any single discipline to provide good care to our neurology patients, particularly in MS—it really requires a big team. There is that mutual respect that is required, and it takes time to build trust inside the team, but it's important to do so. Nurses have very common touch points with the patients, so it's important for everybody to be on the same page and for them to hear the same messaging from everybody. I think patients can really sense when a team is well aligned—and that improves the patient outcomes.

This transcript has been edited for clarity.