Critical care placements can be daunting – you'll be working in a demanding setting and caring for people when they are critically ill and at their most vulnerable. There is a large amount of new information to take in, and newly learned nursing theory to put into practice. This pocket guide is designed to make your placement a less stressful and more rewarding learning experience.
From
advanced life support to
urinalysis, via
myocardial infarction, it's full of practical detail, hints and tips.
- Written by current nursing students and edited by a senior lecturer – this guidance is really produced with you in mind.
- Pocket-sized format – carry it with you at all times.
- Space to make your own notes – be it new information, unfamiliar terminology, or just the names of your new colleagues!
Reduce your stress and make the most of your placement by having this book to hand from the start.
Contents
Introduction 1. How to use this book
2. Person-centred care
Advanced Life Support and assessments 3. Advanced Life Support
3.1 Cardiac arrest definition; 3.2 Basic Life Support; 3.3 Management of cardiac arrest; 3.4 Correct placement of defibrillation pads; 3.5 Four Hs and four Ts; 3.6 Effective CPR
4. Assessments
4.1 ABCDE assessment; 4.2 Trauma assessment
Common conditions in critical care 5. Shock
5.1 Types of shock; 5.2 Stages of shock
6. Sepsis
6.1 Signs and symptoms of sepsis; 6.2 Treatment of sepsis
7. Cardiac emergencies
7.1 Angina; 7.2 Myocardial infarction (MI)
8. Stroke
8.1 Signs and symptoms of stroke; 8.2 Assessment of stroke; 8.3 Treatment of stroke
9. Fractures
9.1 Types of fracture; 9.2 Signs and symptoms of fracture; 9.3 Assessment of fracture; 9.4 Treatment of fracture
Toolkit 10. SBAR handover
11. Tests
11.1 Understanding ABGs
12. GCS and pupil observations
12.1 GCS; 12.2 Pupil observations
13. Urinalysis
13.1 Methods of collecting urine; 13.2 Physical appearance; 13.3 Urine analysis
14. ECG types, diagram and reading a rhythm strip
14.1 Why use cardiac monitoring?; 14.2 3-lead ECG;14.3 5-lead ECG; 14.4 12-lead ECG; 14.5 Reading a rhythm strip;14.6 Worked example
15. Shockable and non-shockable rhythms
15.1 Shockable rhythms; 15.2 Non-shockable rhythms
16. Pain
16.1 Assessment of pain; 16.2 Managing pain
17. Common groups of medications
18. Difficult conversations
19. Top tips
Resources 20. Quick references
21. Further reading
Ruth is a senior lecturer and currently the programme lead for the Master’s in Nursing at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. It is important to her to continue to practice as a nurse while working as a nurse lecturer, so Ruth also works at the Borders General Hospital as a Paediatric Endocrine Specialist Nurse. She has a background in both paediatric and general nursing including neonatal care, neurology, diabetic care and endocrinology.
