Dr. Blissitt has over 40 years of experience in neuroscience nursing in numerous positions, including staff nurse (acute care and critical care), nurse manager, trauma nurse coordinator, OR, office, and hospital nurse for a neurosurgeon in private practice, neuroscience clinical nurse specialist, case manager, adjunct didactic and clinical faculty, assistant to associate professor, clinical faculty, clinical researcher, and currently once again as a clinical nurse specialist for the neuroscience patient population for two large healthcare systems in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Blissitt has lectured locally, regionally and nationally on a number of neurological disorders including care of the critically ill neuroscience patient, neuroanatomy and physiology, neurologic assessment, neurodiagnostic testing, stroke, and neurotrauma as well as more general topics in neuroscience nursing and nursing. Pat has published in numerous publications including peer-reviewed newsletters, journals, and books on a number of neuroscience diagnoses, including stroke, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury, including both editions of AACN’s Advanced Critical Care Nursing. She is certified in critical care nursing, neuroscience nursing, stroke nursing, case management, and acute care and critical care clinical nurse specialist. Dr. Blissitt is licensed as a Clinical Nurse Specialist with prescriptive authority in the State of Washington. She was awarded CNRN of the Year by AANN in 2008 and was selected Nurse Educator Champion of the Year for Western Washington by the March of Dimes in 2013. She is past editor for the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses’ Clinical Practice Guideline series. Of all of her accomplishments she is most proud of being a strong patient and family advocate as well as a champion for the staff nurse at the bedside.