High-Acuity Nursing

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

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

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