Acute Care Nursing

This text equips students with foundational knowledge of the pathophysiology, treatment and legal and ethical issues associated with common acute conditions. Through the person-centred, collaborative care approach, students will also learn effective communication and cultural competency skills that are essential for nurses in any practice context.

From the publishers of the market-leading at a Glance series comes a comprehensive yet accessible overview of all the fundamental elements of acute and critical care nursing. Acute and Critical Care Nursing at a Glance provides an introduction to the key knowledge and skills for patient assessment and problem identification, as well as how to plan, implement and evaluate care management strategies. It also explores clinical decision-making processes and their impact on care delivery, as well as key psychosocial issues, pain management, and safe transfer. All information is presented in a clear, double-page spread with key information accompanied by tables, illustrations, photographs and diagrams. Key features: Superbly illustrated, with full colour illustrations throughout An accessible, evidence-based, introduction to a complex topic Presents information structured according to the Resuscitation Council’s systematic ABCDE framework for ease of understanding Accompanied by patient case studies to help apply theory to practice Acute and Critical Care Nursing at a Glance is ideal for nursing students, healthcare assistants, and registered nurses working within the acute and critical care setting.

From the moment it was first proposed, the role of the nurse practitioner has been steeped in controversy. In the fields of both nursing and medicine, the idea that a nurse practitioner can, to some degree, serve as a replacement for the physician has sparked heated debates. Perhaps for that reason, despite the progress of the nurse practitioner movement, NPs have been reluctant to speak about themselves and their work, and their own vision of their role has thus remained largely invisible. Current research is dominated by instrumental and economic modes of discourse and tends to focus on the clinical activities associated with the role. Although information about demographics, educational preparation, position titles, reporting relationships, and costs of care contribute to our understanding, what was missing was an exploration of the lived experience of the nurse practitioner, as a means to deepen that understanding as well as our appreciation for their role. The Acute-Care Nurse Practitioner is based on in-depth interviews with twenty-six nurse practitioners working in acute-care settings within tertiary-care institutions all across Canada. Employing a hermeneutic approach, Rashotte explores the perspectives from which NPs view their reality as they undergo a transformational journey of becoming—a journey that is directed both outward, into the world, and inward, into the self. We learn how, in their struggle to engage in a meaningful practice that fulfills their goals as nurses, their purpose was hindered or achieved. In large part, the story unfolds in the voices of the NPs themselves, but their words are complemented by descriptive passages and excerpts of poetry that construct an animated and powerful commentary on their journey. Poised between two worlds, NPs make a significant contribution to the work of their colleagues and to the care of patients and families. The Acute-Care Nurse Practitioner offers an experiential alternative to conventional discourse surrounding this health care provider’s role.

Focusing on critical care nursing, this full-color text provides an examination of the important aspects of critical care nursing. It is organized in ten units around alterations in body systems.

This completely updated and revised new edition is specially written for qualified nurses working in intensive care nursing units. Fully comprehensive and developed to be as accessible as possible it contains four new chapters with valuable new and updated clinical scenarios to aid learning. Intensive Care Nursing is structured in user-friendly sections. Each chapter contains 'fundamental knowledge' needed to understand the chapter, an introduction, 'implications for practice', a chapter summary, completely updated further reading, 'time out' sections for revision and a clinical scenario with questions included. This second edition has been fully developed and reviewed by practitioners and teachers, as well as a senior pharmacist and covers: patient-focused issues of bedside nursing the technical knowledge necessary to care safely for ICU patients the more common and specialized disease processes and treatments encountered how nurses can use their knowledge and skills to develop their own and others' practice. A support website at www.routledge.com/textbooks/0415373239 links to other important sites, gives answers to the clinical scenario questions and provides a forum for discussion of important clinical issues. Written by a practice development nurse with a strong clinical background in intensive care nursing and experience of teaching nursing, Intensive Care Nursing is essential reading for nurses and health professionals working with high dependency patients.

PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR ACUTE CARE NURSE PRACTITIONERS, 2nd Edition is the only comprehensive clinical reference tailored to the needs of advance practice nurses. With discussions of more than 230 of the most common conditions experienced by adult patients in acute care, this reference includes everything you need on a day-to-day basis. Plus, quick reference is easy with a spiral binding and content organized by body system. Each condition lists a concise outline of defining terms, incidence/predisposing factors, subject and physical examination findings, diagnostic tests, and management strategies so you can find everything you need to know quickly. Includes discussion of body systems, nutritional considerations, fluid/electrolyte imbalances, shock, trauma, gerontological concerns, professional issues, and trends in advanced practice. Nursing guidelines for more than 230 of the most common conditions experienced by adult patients in acute care serve as an invaluable resource in the field. Conditions are organized by body system for quick reference when treating patients. Each condition lists defining terms, incidence/predisposing factors, subjective and physical examination findings, diagnostic tests, and management strategies to provide help every step of the way. Coverage also includes discussion of body systems, nutritional considerations, fluid/electrolyte imbalances, shock, and trauma for a complete look at patient care and diagnosis. An entire chapter dedicated to congestive heart failure gives you a deeper look at the disease. Specific content, as well as online references, for diseases such as SARS and West Nile Virus give you the most current information available on these evolving diseases. New chapters on admission, pre-op and post-op orders prepare you for every step of the patient treatment process. Addition of ICD-9 codes within the chapters makes classifying diseases with ICD codes easy. New content on Parkinson's disease, gout, testicular cancer, multiple sclerosis, bite management (including spider, snake, animal, and human) better prepare you for these situations. Updated and expanded content reflects changes in current guidelines and evidence-based practice, an important part of working in the field. Updated and expanded content on coronary artery disease and inclusion of the new JNC 7 national hypertension guidelines features more information on these common diseases. Expanded and updated coverage of postmenopausal women and hormone replacement therapy.

This book helps adult nursing students to competently manage care of critically and acutely ill patients, and to recognize and deal with the early signs of deterioration. The book takes a practical real-life approach to care, with each chapter focusing on patients with specific problems, then interweaving the knowledge and skills needed to care for that patient. New to this edition: · two new chapters focusing on the renal system and endocrine system · updates to include the latest evidence and guidelines from NICE · refreshed activities and scenarios reflecting current nursing practice.

Taking a structured approach that maps to the ‘ABCDE’ method of patient assessment, the book provides a one-stop-shop for nursing students that shows how to plan care for the acutely ill adult. The use of case studies and activities bring the book to life with clear and simple explanations of the relevant anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology helping to build a deeper understanding of acute illness and disrupted homeostasis. Key features: Adopts a patient-centred approach that considers the full context of care, the patient’s own view and psycho-social needs Blends the underlying science of health and illness with practical application Contains activities, case studies, illustrations and figures to support a wide range of learning styles