CRITICAL CARE NURSING

Critical Care

Is a term used to describe The care of patients who are extremely ill and whose clinical condition is unstable or potentially unstable

Critical Care Nursing

The

field of nursing with a focus on the care of the critically ill or unstable patients. Critical care nurses can be found working in a wide variety of environments and specialties:

emergency departments critical care /intensive care units


Critical

care nursing is that specialty within nursing that deals specifically with human responses to lifethreatening 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. Critically ill patients are those who are at high risk for actual or potential life-threatening health problems. Given their condition, the specialized critical care nurse is required to provide intense and vigilant nursing care.

Intensive care An unit intensive

care unit, or ICU, is a specialized section of a hospital that provides comprehensive and continuous care for persons who are critically ill and who can

Equipments:
Intensive

care nurses are also required to be comfortable with a wide variety of technology and its uses in the critical care setting. This technology includes such equipment, as:

hemodynamic and cardiac monitoring systems, mechanical ventilator therapy ventricular assist devices continuous renal replacement equipment

Pulse Oximetry
Reflects

the arterial oxygen saturation of hemoglobin Saturations of 93% to 99% are normal Not reliable in patients Using vasoconstricting meds In shock, cardiac arrest With severe anemia

Mechanical Ventilators
a method to mechanically assist or replace spontaneous breathing when patients cannot do so on their own.

Endotracheal tube
The

tube is inserted into a patient's trachea in order to ensure that the airway is not closed off and that air is able to reach the lungs. The endotracheal tube is regarded as the most reliable available method for protecting a patient's airway.

Endotracheal tube

Endotracheal Tube

Tracheostomy

tracheosto my are surgical procedures on the neck to open a direct airway through an incision in the trachea

Parts of a Tracheostomy Tube Tube with inner Cannula

Hemodynamic monitoring system

ECG machine

Continuous renal replacement

Nurse monitoring a central station for intensive care unit (ICU) equipment.

Syringe infusion pumps

Infusion pumps

Suction machine

defibrillators

REASONS FOR ADMISSION TO THE ICU

Respiratory

difficulties impairing the clients ability to ventilate or oxygenate problems changes infection or the

Circulatory Neurologic

Life-threatening

risk of infection
Metabolic Critical

problems

post surgery client

Hemodynamics and other monitoring of critically Ill patients

vital

signs Pulmonary Artery Catheter Monitoring MIO Daily weight Noninvasive Cardiac Output devices Intracranial Blood Tests Pressure Monitoring
Cardiac

Monitoring

Who participates in end of life decisionmaking? As a nurse what is your role?

What Is End-of-Life Decision Making?

End-of-life

decision making is the process that healthcare providers, patients, and patients families go through when considering what treatments will or will not be used to treat a lifethreatening illness. Several forms of this decision making are possible. First, advance directives provide an opportunity for patients to express their