Role of Critical Care Nursing

Critical care nursing focuses upon care of the critically, or acutely ill patient. Critically ill patients are unstable, as their condition can suddenly change at any time. Critical care nurses work in intensive care units (ICU), critical care units (CCU), emergency departments and progressive care units (PCU).

Patient Advocacy

• Patient advocacy refers to the nurse acting on behalf of, and in the best interest of, the patient. Critical care nurses respect patient values, beliefs and rights. Educating the patient and family so they can make informed choices about care is an example of patient advocacy.

Advanced Assessment

• Critical care nurses must perform complex physical assessments as part of monitoring patient condition and status. This would include cardiac auscultation (listening to heart sounds and murmurs) and abdominal palpation.

Intensive Intervention

• Because conditions of the critically ill may quickly change, critical care nurses must be prepared to respond to them. This includes having a very thorough knowledge of the pathophysiology of complex illnesses and the nursing actions that typically accompany them.

High-Tech Monitoring

• Critical and intensive care involves the use of high tech monitoring systems. Nurses working with critical patients are trained in telemetry. Telemetry is a computerized monitoring system that transmits essential information about the condition of a patient (heart and lung activity). Based upon the information, nurses can make healthcare judgments.

Specialized Care

• There are specialized areas within critical care nursing. Critical care nursing subspecialties are typically based upon a specific population such as neonatal or pediatric critical care. While both focus on care of children, neonatal critical care nurses care for critically ill infants from birth to 1 month old.