Main description:

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.

Contents:

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