Critical care nursing

Intensive care is a part of the field of nursing. It is necessary because, where intensive care is used in a rule that is in the ICU.

Need

There are (eg, cardiac function, pulmonary function, kidney function, ... ) temporarily monitored, supported and replaced, ideally to the body of the patient, this takes itself again disturbed or unusual organ functions.

Outlining the need for intensive care of a person may be caused by different causes, the most common are

  • Disturbance of one or more vital signs (respiration, cardiovascular, neurology or temperature)
  • Shock ( eg, septic, hypovolemic, cardiac p )
  • Reduction in lung function, eg by injury or pre-existing conditions such as severe asthma
  • Unconsciousness / coma eg head injury or metabolic disorders; poisoning
  • Nachbeatmung after major surgery

Treatment options

Intensive care is needed everywhere there, where patients must be closely monitored in their body functions and / or supported, so for example in the fields of anesthesiology, internal medicine, surgical / trauma, neurological and neonatal intensive care.

Intensive care is not tied to a clinical environment. Even for home care, eg home ventilation, there are numerous, mostly private provider of outpatient critical care (intensive care service).

The tasks of nurses are divided into:

  • Monitoring of vital situation of the patient (and possibly intervention)
  • Operation of the necessary apparatus and machines, eg: monitoring monitors, ventilators, infusion pumps, dialysis devices
  • Drug administration and infusion
  • Personal care of the patient
  • Dressing changes, if necessary Tubuspflege, wound care
  • Assistance with medical procedures (eg creation of a central venous access, bronchoscopy ...) and transports to studies such as CT, MRI, etc.
  • Performing medical arrangements
  • Making minor invasive procedures such as the placement of a peripheral venous access, a urinary catheter or a nasogastric tube, endotracheal suctioning, etc.
  • Storage treatments and possibly mobilization of the patient
  • Psychological care of the patient and his relatives within the possibilities
  • Life care

The special feature in the intensive care compared to nursing is that patients are provided with no or few resources have to help themselves. In addition, the vital signs must be continuously monitored and supported, often with the help of many technical devices, which must also be served. This requires a high personnel costs and some technical understanding.

Requirements for working in critical care areas are flexibility, teamwork, noise tolerance, willingness to learn and the ability and willingness to deal with negative and frustrating situations, because in spite of all medical options, the danger to life and death of people is always present.

For specialization for the activity in the ICU is the possibility of special training to become nurse for critical care and anesthesia for Certificate care professionals. The special training in Germany takes 2 years, in Austria 1 year, and can be occupied by one proven years of experience in intensive care and put- positive admissions process.

Intensive care medicine Tracheal intubation
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