AACN Essentials of Critical Care Nursing, Third Edition

Book Preface

Critical care nursing is a complex, challenging area of nursing practice where clinical expertise is developed over time by integrating critical care knowledge, clinical skills, and caring practices. This textbook succinctly presents essential information about how best to safely and competently care for critically ill patients and their families.

As it has since the first edition, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses reaffirms this book’s value to the AACN community and especially to clinicians at the point of care. The title continues to carry AACN’s name, as it has since the first edition.

AACN Essentials of Critical Care Nursing provides essential information on the care of adult critically ill patients and families. The book recognizes the learner’s need to assimilate foundational knowledge before attempting to master more complex critical care nursing concepts. Written by nationally acknowledged clinical experts in critical care nursing, this book sets a new standard for critical care nursing education.

AACN Essentials of Critical Care Nursing represents a departure from the way in which most critical care books are written because it:

• Succinctly presents essential information for the safe and competent care of critically ill adult patients and their families, building on the clinician’s significant medical-surgical nursing knowledge base, avoiding repetition of previously acquired information;
• Stages the introduction of advanced concepts in critical care nursing after essential concepts have been mastered;
• Provides clinicians with clinically-relevant tools and guides to use as they care for critically ill patients and families.