A pocket-sized guide to help nursing students prepare for their critical care placement. 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. Pocket Guides is a series of handy, pocket-sized books designed to help students make the most of their practice learning experiences.
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
