Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is a primary consideration when designing the milieu of a critical care environment?
What is a primary consideration when designing the milieu of a critical care environment?
Which of the following is NOT a factor influencing the provision of care to critically ill patients?
Which of the following is NOT a factor influencing the provision of care to critically ill patients?
What must a critical care environment contain to support the interaction between the nurse and the critically ill patient?
What must a critical care environment contain to support the interaction between the nurse and the critically ill patient?
The setting in which critically ill patients receive care is encompassed within which prospective of the critical care environment?
The setting in which critically ill patients receive care is encompassed within which prospective of the critical care environment?
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Critical care environments are essential for providing support through which of the following?
Critical care environments are essential for providing support through which of the following?
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What is a primary goal of critical care nursing practice?
What is a primary goal of critical care nursing practice?
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Which of the following best defines critical care nursing according to the AACN?
Which of the following best defines critical care nursing according to the AACN?
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What aspect of care is emphasized when working with critically ill patients and their families?
What aspect of care is emphasized when working with critically ill patients and their families?
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Which technique is crucial for identifying the needs of critically ill patients?
Which technique is crucial for identifying the needs of critically ill patients?
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In which situation is palliative care primarily provided in critical care nursing?
In which situation is palliative care primarily provided in critical care nursing?
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What characterizes the environment in which critical care nursing occurs?
What characterizes the environment in which critical care nursing occurs?
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What should be included in the care for critically ill patients with physiological alterations?
What should be included in the care for critically ill patients with physiological alterations?
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What is essential for effective communication in critical care nursing?
What is essential for effective communication in critical care nursing?
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What is the main focus of caring practices in critical care nursing?
What is the main focus of caring practices in critical care nursing?
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Which competency involves understanding the holistic interrelationships within the health care system?
Which competency involves understanding the holistic interrelationships within the health care system?
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What does the response to diversity competency entail in critical care nursing?
What does the response to diversity competency entail in critical care nursing?
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What responsibility does a critical care nurse have regarding patient autonomy?
What responsibility does a critical care nurse have regarding patient autonomy?
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Which of the following is NOT a responsibility of a critical care nurse?
Which of the following is NOT a responsibility of a critical care nurse?
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What does the role of a facilitator of learning primarily involve?
What does the role of a facilitator of learning primarily involve?
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What is a critical characteristic of the critical care environment?
What is a critical characteristic of the critical care environment?
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Why is clinical inquiry important for critical care nurses?
Why is clinical inquiry important for critical care nurses?
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What is a defining characteristic that allows predictions about a critically ill patient's illness trajectory?
What is a defining characteristic that allows predictions about a critically ill patient's illness trajectory?
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Which of the following is classified as a non-physical need for critically ill patients?
Which of the following is classified as a non-physical need for critically ill patients?
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What primary role does the critical care nurse fulfill during a family crisis?
What primary role does the critical care nurse fulfill during a family crisis?
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Which emotional difficulty may arise due to prolonged critical illness in a patient's family?
Which emotional difficulty may arise due to prolonged critical illness in a patient's family?
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What aspect does the scope of critical care nursing NOT include?
What aspect does the scope of critical care nursing NOT include?
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How can obstruction of non-physical needs impact critically ill patients?
How can obstruction of non-physical needs impact critically ill patients?
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Which characteristic does NOT define a critically ill patient according to AACN?
Which characteristic does NOT define a critically ill patient according to AACN?
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Which intervention can help families cope better during a crisis in critical care?
Which intervention can help families cope better during a crisis in critical care?
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Which of the following accurately describes the term 'vulnerability' in critically ill patients?
Which of the following accurately describes the term 'vulnerability' in critically ill patients?
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What should nurses aim to help families identify during a crisis?
What should nurses aim to help families identify during a crisis?
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In the scope of critical care nursing practice, which component represents the setting where care is provided?
In the scope of critical care nursing practice, which component represents the setting where care is provided?
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Which of the following is NOT a minor defining characteristic of critically ill patients?
Which of the following is NOT a minor defining characteristic of critically ill patients?
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Which aspect of a critically ill patient's experience is least likely to be disrupted?
Which aspect of a critically ill patient's experience is least likely to be disrupted?
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Critical illness may lead to dependence on which of the following?
Critical illness may lead to dependence on which of the following?
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Which aspect of critically ill patients refers to their ability to bounce back after an insult?
Which aspect of critically ill patients refers to their ability to bounce back after an insult?
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Which of the following indicates the complex interactions involved in a critically ill patient's condition?
Which of the following indicates the complex interactions involved in a critically ill patient's condition?
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What is a primary responsibility of a critical care nurse in relation to patient care?
What is a primary responsibility of a critical care nurse in relation to patient care?
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Which of the following best describes the role of advocacy in nursing?
Which of the following best describes the role of advocacy in nursing?
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Which competence is crucial for making clinical judgments in critical care nursing?
Which competence is crucial for making clinical judgments in critical care nursing?
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How should nurses assist families in crisis regarding patient communication?
How should nurses assist families in crisis regarding patient communication?
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What is one approach a critical care nurse can take to support family needs in a healthcare setting?
What is one approach a critical care nurse can take to support family needs in a healthcare setting?
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Which of the following activities is part of the critical care nurse’s competency in clinical inquiry?
Which of the following activities is part of the critical care nurse’s competency in clinical inquiry?
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How should critical care nurses prioritize patient safety?
How should critical care nurses prioritize patient safety?
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What strategy should a nurse employ when helping a family set goals for a patient in crisis?
What strategy should a nurse employ when helping a family set goals for a patient in crisis?
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Study Notes
Scope of Critical Care Nursing Practice
- Critical care nursing occurs at the interface of the nurse, patient, and family in an environment demanding humanism and compassion despite advanced technology.
- In 1984, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) defined critical care nursing as a specialty focusing on human responses to life-threatening problems.
- The scope includes a framework for how an individual provides holistic nursing care, covering who, where, what, when, why, and how.
- It's described as a dynamic interaction of three components: critically ill patients, critical care nurses, and the environment where care is provided.
Critically Ill Patient
- A critically ill patient is characterized by the presence of actual and/or potential (at risk of developing) life-threatening health problems.
- Critical illness can lead to extraordinary dependence on healthcare providers and technology for health maintenance or life support.
- Characteristics defined by AACN include:
- Resiliency: The ability to return to a restorative level of function using compensatory coping mechanisms. Ability to bounce back quickly after insult.
- Vulnerability: Susceptibility to actual or potential stressors that can negatively affect patient outcomes.
- Other minor defining characteristics include:
- Stability: Maintaining a steady-state equilibrium.
- Complexity: Interconnectedness of two or more systems (e.g., body, family, therapies).
- Participation in care: Extent to which the patient and family engage in aspects of care.
- Participation in decision making: Extent to which the patient and family engage in decision making.
- Predictability: Consistency in the trajectory of illness, course of events, or course of illness.
- Needs of a critically ill patient include physical (basic physiological/biological needs, e.g. air, nutrition, elimination), and non-physical needs (social, spiritual, psychological, social integrity/self-esteem, information, communications). These non-physical needs are particularly vulnerable when the patient is in a strange environment and without their usual surroundings.
Critically Ill Patient's Family
- The patient's social role within the family is absent during critical illness.
- Circumstances surrounding the patient's illness can also cause stress for the family.
- Prolonged critical illness can cause emotional difficulties and increase the likelihood of crisis.
- The critical care nurse is a caregiver to both the patient and the family.
Nursing Interventions for Care of Family in Crisis
- Guide the family in defining current problems.
- Help the family identify its strengths and sources of support.
- Prepare the family for the critical care environment, particularly regarding equipment and its purpose.
- Speak openly to the patient and family about the critical illness.
- Convey feelings of hope and confidence in the family's ability to deal with the situation.
- Try to perceive feelings the crisis evokes in the family.
- Help the family identify and focus on feelings.
- Provide opportunities for patient and family to make choices, avoiding powerlessness and hopelessness.
- Assist the family in finding ways to communicate with the patient.
- Discuss all issues related to the patient's uniqueness, avoiding generalizations.
- Help the family set short-term goals to see progress and positive changes.
- Advocate for adjustment of visiting hours to accommodate family needs.
- Determine if there is space in the hospital near the unit for privacy.
Critical Care Nurse
- The critical care nurse directly administers nursing care to critically ill or injured patients.
- The critical care nurse is a licensed professional responsible for ensuring that all critically ill patients receive optimal care.
- Nurses practicing in critical care must make clinical judgments to prevent clinical deterioration.
- Anticipation and early prevention of patient problems require highly developed assessment and clinical judgment skills.
- Prediction of patient problems is based on a sound understanding of anatomy and physiology.
- AACN has defined critical care competencies (e.g., clinical judgment, advocacy, caring practices, system thinking, response to diversity) to promote best patient outcomes and ensure a clear understanding of the unique aspects of critical care nursing.
AACN Critical Care Nurse's Role Responsibilities
- Supporting patient autonomy and informed decision-making.
- Intervening when questionable whose interest is being served.
- Helping patients obtain necessary care.
- Respecting patients values, beliefs, and rights.
- Educating the patient/surrogate in decision-making
- Representing patient's right to choose.
- Supporting decisions of patients/surrogates or transferring care to an equally qualified critical care nurse.
- Interceding for patients who cannot speak for themselves and who require emergency intervention.
- Monitoring and ensuring quality care.
- Acting as a liaison between patient/significant others and other health care team members.
Critical Care Environment
- Critical care nursing occurs within specialized environments designed for optimal patient care.
- Significant changes in patient morbidity can occur rapidly in these environments.
- Environments should support interaction between patients, nurses, and family members.
- Safety for patients and staff is a primary concern in designing critical care milieus.
- The environment is viewed from three perspectives:
- The circumstances and events surrounding direct interaction between the critical care nurse and critically ill patient must include resources like emergency equipment.
- The environment for care, including organizational structures, adequate human and financial resources, quality control systems to maintain high standards of care.
- Factors influencing care provision, including legal, regulatory, social, economic, and political constraints.
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Description
Explore the vital aspects of critical care nursing, including the interactions between nurses, patients, and families. This quiz covers the definition, scope, and characteristics of critically ill patients, emphasizing the importance of humanistic care in a technology-driven environment.
