An essential guide to critical care nursing that includes all the key scientific knowledge and procedures you will need to know when entering the critical care environment. Written by a dedicated team of lecturers and practitioners with extensive experience in critical care nursing, this textbook covers all the key elements involved in nursing critically ill adults, with individual chapters on managing problems associated with different organ systems and the pathophysiology behind these disorders. It also features coverage of psychological care and infection prevention, and includes a consistent focus on the importance of a person centred, evidence-based approach to critical care delivery. To further support your learning, the book is full of activities that enhance your knowledge and test your understanding, including clinical case studies, critical thinking tasks, and reflective practice exercises. For lecturers and instructors, there is a collection of online resources including a testbank of multiple-choice questions, links to relevant videos for each chapter, and PowerPoint slides for each chapter. The ideal textbook for nursing students studying critical care, undertaking clinical placements in intensive care, or nurses new to the critical care environment.

IntroductionChapter 1: The history and development of critical care nursing - Samantha FreemanChapter 2: Humanising critical care - Samantha FreemanChapter 3: Critical care continuum - Samantha Freeman and Sally MooreChapter 4: Infection prevention and control in critical care - Mark ColeChapter 5: Critical Care related to the Respiratory system - Colin Steen, Sam Freeman and Greg BleakleyChapter 6: Critical Care related to the Cardiac system - Colin SteenChapter 7: Critical Care related to systemic inflammatory response - Colin SteenChapter 8: Critical Care related to the renal and liver systems - Greg Bleakley and Samantha FreemanChapter 9: Complex Case SCENARIO 1 - Samantha Freeman, Emily Brennan and Sally MooreChapter 10: Critical Care Related to the Gastrointestinal System - Claire BurnsChapter 11: Critical Care related to Neurology physiology and disorders - Greg Bleakley and Mark ColeChapter 12: Critical Care related to the Skin and Integumentary System - Claire BurnsChapter 13: Complex Case SCENARIO 2 - Greg BleakleyChapter 14: Critical Care related to women during pregnancy and childbirth - Gill Singleton and Kim WilcockChapter 15: The psychological care of the critically ill - Samantha FreemanChapter 16: Supporting those at the end of life in critical care - Karen HeggsChapter 17: Rehabilitation after Critical Illness - Sally Moore and Samantha Freeman