CRITICAL CARE: GENERAL OVERVIEW Flashcards
Definition of Critical Care Nursing:
•Definition of Critical Care Nursing: Critical care nursing is that specialty within nursing that deals specifically with human responses to life-threatening problems. A critical care nurse is a licensed professional nurse who is responsible for ensuring that acutely and critically ill patients and their families receive optimal care.
Definition of a Critically Ill Patient:
•Definition of a Critically Ill Patient: Critically ill patients are defined as those patients who are at high risk for actual or potential life-threatening health problems. The more critically ill the patient is, the more likely he or she is to be **highly vulnerable, unstable and complex, thereby requiring intense and vigilant nursing care. **
ROLE of the Critical Care Nurse
- Assessment
- Continuous electronic monitoring (7)
- Titration of
- Communication
- Documentation
- •1:1 assessment
- •Complex to focus
- •Continuous electronic monitoring
- –ECG
- –Respiratory Rate
- –BP: NIBP or Arterial
- –Oxygenation: SpO2, SvO2
- –Temperature
- –Hemodynamic monitoring: PA, IABP
- –ICP monitoring
- •Titration of IV medications
- •Communication
- •Documentation
Critical Nurse Scope of Practice (7)
- •Assessment
- •Diagnosis
- •Outcomes Identification
- •Planning
- •Implementation
- •Evaluation
•Impaired gas exchange
Nursing Interventions
Nursing Interventions
**Altered Respiratory Pattern
Nursing Interventions**
Nursing Interventions
**Impaired circulation
Nursing Interventions**
Nursing Interventions
**Risk for hemodynamic instability
Nursing Interventions**
Nursing Interventions
Risk for infection
Nursing Interventions
Nursing Interventions
**Risk for injury
Nursing Interventions**
Nursing Interventions
Knowledge deficit
Nursing Interventions
Nursing Interventions
**Impaired neuro-sensory function
Nursing Interventions**
Nursing Interventions
Altered nutrition
Nursing Interventions
Nursing Interventions
Altered family processes
Nursing Interventions
Nursing Interventions
Pain
Nursing Interventions
Nursing Interventions