Objective: The environment of caring for acute stroke patients impacts the outcome of the process. The aim of the study was to explore the present institutional conditions of acute stroke units and to compare these to the Hungarian national standards. Methods: A cross sectional study design was used to explore the present conditions for acute stroke nursing (nurse staffing, skill mix, shift patterns, physical environment, etc.) in 11 institutions representing all regions of Hungary. The collected data were compared to the professional standards lied in the government decree. The data were collected in the beginning of 2005. The data analysis was done with Chi-square and ANOVA method using SPSS 11.0. Results: The examined institutions represent 19% (658) of active neurological beds in Hungary. The nursing posts were not filled in 13% of the 11 units, furthermore the total number of nursing posts were under the minimum recommended standards with 17%. A total of 81% (219) of the filled nursing posts are staffed with qualified registered nurses, out of them 5% has a degree. In three institutions degree nurses are not available at al. 80% of the nurses are between 21-45 years. The average nurse-patient ratio: 2.4:1 (lowest: 1.8, the more: 3.6). In 10 out of 11 institutions have ISO 9001 QA accreditation. The tools for helping nurses' work are not enough and correlating with lower qualification levels significantly (p<0.01). Conclusion: The nursing shortage is a serious problem in stroke units (30%). Therefore, nursing can not meet the criteria lied in the government decree and in the ISO 9001 system. Although the majority of the nursing staff are qualified not all department employs degree nurses who could develop the professional nursing.