Stages of Neural Impulses. Resting potential is the name for the electrical state when a neuron is not actively being signaled. A neuron at resting potential has a membrane with established amounts of sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) ions on either side, leaving the inside of the neuron negatively charged relative to the outside. The action potential is a rapid change in polarity that moves along the nerve fiber from neuron to neuron.