Nursing in Critical Care Setting

This book provides essential insights into how the approach to nursing care in ICU patients has markedly changed over recent years. It shows how the focus has progressively moved away from the technical approach that characterized early ICUs to a wider personalization of patient care that also highlights general problems such as basic hygiene and general comfort. It also demonstrates that, at the same time, the nurses' role has become more professionalized, with increasing competences in assessing and managing patients' problems and measuring related outcomes. It is structured in four units: Unit 1 presents the essential elements of accurate vital-function and basic-needs assessments for ICU patients, using both instrumental monitoring and specially validated assessment tools. Unit 2 addresses basic care in ICU patients, particularly hygiene and mobilization, reflecting recent developments in nursing that focus on the importance of these activities. Unit 3 highlights the main nursing outcomes in ICU patients, particularly focusing on risk prevention and complication management. Lastly, Unit 4 discusses advances in ICU nursing, from clinical, organizational and research perspectives. 

“The purpose is to provide information for any nurses caring for patients in the ICU setting. … This book is informative and timely. I loved the various monitoring methods and assessment strategies. The diagrams and pictures are very well done. The authors discuss a variety of areas, not just the cardiac and respiratory system, but also the eye … positioning. This is a very well rounded and informative book that would be a great asset for any new ICU nurse.” (Cynthia Cummings, Doody's Book Reviews, October, 2018)

Irene Comisso (RN, MSN) was graduated in 2000, and achieved the Master in Nursing Sciences degree in 2011. She works as ICU nurse since 2000, and lectures ICU nursing at Nursing Bachelor in Udine, Italy. She is member of the scientific board of STAT (selected topics in anaestesia and intensive care) annual congress. She is author of several publications and participated in critical care nursing conferences as speaker and chairman.Alberto Lucchini works as a nurse in the general ICU at the Department of perioperative medicine and intensive care of San Gerardo Monza hospital since 1992. He is a chief nurse since 2003. Since 2006 he is the coordinator of master in Nursing Sciences of anesthesia and intensive care at the University of Milan Bicocca. He has been a member of the scientific board in several events and conferences on the topic of critical care nursing. He is member of the direction board of Aniarti (Italian critical care nurses association). He has several publications and collaborations to observational and multicentric studies.Stefano Bambi (RN, MSN) is a PhD candidate in nursing science at the University of Firenze, Italy. He was graduated in 1995, and has been working as staff nurse in emergency department for about 10 years. Since 2008, he is working as staff nurse in intensive care unit. He was formerly lecturer in Emergency and Critical Care Nursing at Nursing Bachelor and other universitary courses in Florence. He was (invited) speaker in several conferences. He is an author of several nursing papers published in national and international journals.Gian Domenico Giusti (RN, MSN) is staff nurse in Intensive Care Unit at Perugia Hospital. He is Lecturer in Critical Care at School of Nursing, Perugia University of Medicine, Italy. He is member of National Board of Aniarti (Italian Critical Care Nurses Associations) and member of Editorial Board of  “Scenario. Il nursing nella sopravvivenza” (Official Journal of Aniarti). He is the author of many scientific publications and invited speaker in several conferences.