Acute and Critical Care in Adult Nursing

Desi Tait is senior lecturer and Year leader for BSc Nursing in the Faculty for Health and Social Care at Bournemouth University. Desi has over 30 years experience in the practice, theory and education of adult acute and critical care nursing and facilitates critical care education at both undergraduate and post graduate levels. She has a particular interest in the use of blended learning strategies in critical care undergraduate education and is involved in developing and evaluating innovative ways to facilitate student learning by adopting a practice based approach to education. Desi completed her doctorate in the study of nurses’ experience of recognizing and managing clinical deterioration in patients in hospital in 2009 and this continues to be an area of clinical interest. Jane James is a Senior Lecturer, module leader for acute care and Admissions Tutor in Adult Nursing at the College of Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University. Jane′s nursing career began in 1980, working in critical care and medical nursing. Her main role as a nurse tutor is in pre-registration nursing, supporting students throughout the adult programme. She has a particular involvement in clinical skills, with an emphasis on simulation and practical scenarios, and she is also module leader for specialised adult practice. She is also involved in post-registration teaching in critical care and discharge planning; and acts as admissions tutor for the pre-registration adult nursing programme. Catherine Williams is the programme Director for undergraduate nursing at the  College of Human and Health Sciences, and has over 14  years’ experience in the practice, theory and education of postgraduate and undergraduate level. David Barton is now retired and was formerly Associate Professor and Academic Lead in the Department of Nursing, School of Human & Health Science, Swansea University. David qualified as an RGN at Kings College Hospital and then specialised in critical care nursing. He worked in Intensive Care in both Carmarthen and Swansea before becoming a Nurse Lecturer at the University of Wales Swansea in 1989. David’s academic and scholarly interests have focused particularly on advanced clinical nursing and he has worked to develop nursing networks in Wales and the UK. He is the Chair of the Association of Advanced Nursing Practice Educators (AANPE), and is actively involved with the Modernising Careers agenda at a strategic level both in Wales and nationally. He has also published widely in journals and textbooks. Recently David has taken the lead in managing the Department of Nursing at Swansea University, promoting the educational and research agenda students at pre and post registration level, and from undergraduate to doctoral level. Throughout his career as a lecturer he has maintained his clinical practice, working regularly in Intensive Care.

Introduction
Assessing, Recognising and Responding to Acute and Critical Illness
The Breathless Patient
The Patient Who Needs Respiratory Support
The Patient with Chest Pain
The Patient with Acute Renal Problems
The Patient with Acute Endocrine Disorders
The Patient in Pain
The Patient in Shock
The Patient with Sepsis and Distributive Shock
The Patient with Acute Confusion or Delirium
The Patient with Altered Consciousness
The Patient with Physiological Trauma
Conclusion: Lessons Learned - An Action Plan for Practice