The aim of this chapter is to provide nurses with the knowledge to be able to assess, manage, and care for people with stroke in an evidence-based and person-centred way. The chapter will provide a comprehensive overview of the seven stages of stroke, exploring best practice to deliver care, as well as to prevent or minimize further ill-health. Nursing assessments and priorities are highlighted throughout, and the nursing management of the symptoms and common health problems associated with stroke can be found in Chapters 23, 24, and 27, respectively. Stroke is defined as the rapid onset of focal neurological deficit lasting more than 24 hours (in which the patient survives the initial event), with no apparent cause other than disruption of blood supply to the brain (World Health Organization, 1978). As well as being the third commonest cause of death only in middle- and high-income countries (WHO, 1978) (along with cancer and heart disease), stroke is the largest cause of adult physical disability in the world (Bath and Lees, 2000). However, owing to advances in research and evidence synthesis, stroke is now a preventable and treatable disease (National Collaborating Centre for Chronic Conditions (NCCC), 2008). Despite its relative small weight (approximately 2% of body weight), the brain requires 750 ml of bloodflow every minute, and consumes nearly 45% of arterial oxygen (Alexandrov, 2003). Bloodflow to the brain is assured through two circulatory systems (anterior and posterior), which are connected by the circle of Willis, and supplied by the internal carotid and vertebral arteries. Disruption of this bloodflow can be either in the form of a bleed (haemorrhagic stroke) or clot (ischaemic stroke), and the clinical presentation will vary depending on the location of the disruption in the brain. Ischaemic strokes are more common and account for almost 70% of all events (Wolfe et al., 2002). Whilst thorough clinical examination is essential, the only clear tool to identify the type of stroke is to perform a brain scan using either magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) technology. It is important to note that, often, when a CT brain scan is performed within the first few hours of an event, the scan may not show any significant tissue damage because the changes that occur may take several days to be clearly visible.