The most focused, up-to-date, easy-to-understand guide to high-acuity nursing in all care settings.
High-Acuity Nursing, Sixth Edition brings together the knowledge needed to care for adult patients with complex conditions and unpredictable outcomes, across settings ranging from critical care to high-skill long-term facilities. It makes critical pathophysiological concepts clinically applicable to high-acuity patients; enhances students’ clinical decision-making skills; provides extensive and immediate feedback; and supports self-paced learning. This tightly focused guide has been substantially reorganized to reflect faculty and student feedback. This edition adds bulleted chapter summaries; NCLEX-style posttest items; updated Emerging Evidence boxes; coverage of oncological emergencies, hypertensive crises, and acute aortic problems; adult doses in Related Pharmacotherapy boxes; and a brand-new chapter on complications associated with metabolic stress response.
Teaching and Learning Experience
This book is designed to help learners rapidly gain mastery and confidence. It provides:
- Focused coverage of topics specifically related to high-acuity nursing: Helps learners gain command of crucial content without ever feeling overwhelmed by its volume and complexity
- Links pathophysiological principles and clinical care: Helps learners translate pathophysiological principles into care decisions, and understand the rationale for those decisions
- Learner-focused “active learning” with strong pedagogical support: “Chunks” complex information into small, discrete sections, provides quizzes after each section to ensure mastery, and offers extensive pedagogical support for more effective study
Table of Contents:
I. Special Topics
1. High-Acuity Nursing
2. Holistic Care of the Patient and Family
3. The Older Adult High-Acuity Patient
4. Acute Pain in the High-Acuity Patient
II. Hematologic (Cellular Function)
5. Determinants and Assessment of Hematologic Function
6. Alterations in Red Blood Cell Function and Hemostasis
7. Alterations in White Blood Cell Function
8. Alteration in Immune Response: Solid Organ and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
III. Pulmonary Gas Exchange
9. Determinants and Assessment of Pulmonary Gas Exchange
10. Alterations in Pulmonary Gas Exchange
11. Supporting Pulmonary Gas Exchange: Mechanical Ventilation
IV. Cardiac Output
12. Determinants and Assessment of Cardiac Output
13. Assessment of Hemodynamic Status: Hemodynamic Monitoring
14. Assessment of Cardiac Rhythm: Basic Electrocardiographic Rhythm Interpretation
15. Alterations in Cardiac Output
16. Alterations in Myocardial Tissue Perfusion
V. Tissue Perfusion
17. Determinants and Assessment of Oxygen Delivery and Oxygen Consumption
18. Alterations in Oxygen Delivery and Oxygen Consumption: Shock States
19. Alterations in Tissue Perfusion: Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome
VI. Neurologic
20. Determinants and Assessment of Cerebral Tissue Perfusion
21. Alteration in Cerebral Tissue Perfusion: Acute Brain Attack
22. Alteration in Sensory Perceptual Function: Acute Head Injury
23. Alteration in Sensory Perceptual Function: Acute Spinal Cord Injury
24. Sensory Motor Complications of Acute Illness
VII. Fluid and Electrolyte Balance
25. Determinants and Assessment of Fluid and Electrolyte Balance
26. Alterations in Fluid and Electrolyte Balance
27. Alteration in Renal Function: Renal Failure
VIII. Metabolic: Regulation of Internal Environment
28. Determinants and Assessment of Gastrointestinal, Hepatic, and Pancreatic Function
29. Alterations in Gastrointestinal Function
30. Alterations in Hepatic Function
31. Alterations in Pancreatic Function
IX. Metabolic: Nutrition
32. Determinants and Assessment of Nutrition and Metabolic Function
33. Alterations in Metabolism
34. Alterations in Glucose Metabolism
X. Tissue Integrity
35. Determinants and Assessment of Skin Integrity
36. Alterations in Skin Integrity: Complex Wound Management
37. Alterations in Skin Integrity: Acute Burn Injury
38. Alterations in Multisystem Function: Multiple Trauma
GLOSSARY
ABBREVIATIONS
INDEX
APPENDIX
