Reviews (3)

Pricey
This is an expensive book, however a good resource to keep on hand. This book is set up as an outline. This is not a detailed text covering all the ins and outs of pathophysiology on the cellular level. It does cover pathophysiology but set up in an outline form, not a standard textbook. Easy to read and grasp information.

Cost effective
This book can be found cheaper at the AACN web site.

Excellent resource for critical care nursing
The Core Curriculum for Critical Care Nursing is a concise, thorough review of each body system. Each major chapter not only outlines a thorough review of A&P, it also goes into common disease states within each system and even discusses nursing concerns with each disease. I have used this book for several years personally, and my director has one in the ICU for a resource at work. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Book Description

To best serve the needs of practicing perianesthesia nurses, content from Core Curriculum for PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 4th Edition and Ambulatory Surgical Nursing Core Curriculum were combined into one new core, PeriAnesthesia Nursing Core Curriculum. This new core adds additional key content to provide the most comprehensive reference for perianesthesia practice, from preanesthesia through postanesthesia Phase 3. This one resource provides practicing perianesthesia nurses with the complete scope of practice in line with and as defined by ASPAN.

* Focuses on ASPAN's full scope of perianesthesia nursing practice regardless of the practice setting.
* Provides the core content necessary to demonstrate competency as a perianesthesia nurse.
* Includes a section on LifeSpan Considerations, Unit 3, to help the nurse understand the full scope of perianesthesia care from pediatrics through older adult life.
* Unit 4, Competency of Preoperative Assessment incorporates all aspects of the complete assessment of the patient and family including key areas such as cultural and alternative/complementary therapies.
* Unit 6, Surgical Specialties provides a consistent format presentation for each specialty area, including anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, operative procedures, postanesthesia priorities: phases 1, 2, and 3, and where necessary, potential complications including anesthesia and pain management.
* An appendix on Certification Concepts and Testing Strategies along with the core content provides an outstanding tool to prepare for certification as a perinanesthesia nurse (CPAN) or as an ambulatory perianesthesia nurse (CAPA). ... Read more

Reviews (5)

excelent
To make it short: this is a very good book on Pediatric care. It includes most info that you will need to work succesfully on the PICU floor. Mainly for nurses, but majority of the text can be of use for neonatal/pediatric respiratory therapists. With a little improvement and a hardbound cover this book deserves a five star rating.

Manual of Pediatric Critical Care
This book has been extremely helpful in my practice as a PCCU nurse. It gives detailed information in an easy to read format for quick reference. I carry it with me always when I go to work. I highly recommend it!

truly disappointed
I recently began working in a pediatric ICU. Although I had 9 years of pedi experience as a floor nurse, I knew I would need a solid reference to help in my transition to the many new procedures and medications I would need to learn. After obtaining this book, I was disappointed by what little it had to offer. I searched for some information on some very basic critical care issues (i.e. CVP) and found it woefully lacking. My only assumption is this text is written with the understanding that you own the larger more detailed book. If you are new to the critical enviroment and need basic, clear information, you may be better served with the larger more informative text. As for me, I will continue to refer to my old general pedi text, which currently is a better source.

Manual of Pediatric Critical Care
I heard the author of this book at a conference, and KNEW I had to have her manual. She presents relevant information in such a clear, concise, and interesting manner. I will use this book as a teaching aide for my pediatric nursing course.

A Must Have for all PICU RNs
This book is a must for any nurse working in a pediatric intensive care setting. It is an excellent resource that provides quick answers to questions! I take mine with me to work and it has come in handy numerous times! As a new nurse, I've been told by the more experienced nurses that this book will help me greatly and they were right! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

this book is horrible
I am a senior nursing student and I am appalled at this book. Our instructor loves it and has been using it. I brought to her attention that in the pediatric module, some of the pretest answers are WRONG!!! I know they are wrong- or I would not be a senior nursing student!!!! Out of all the majors and careers and textbooks that need to give accurate information- ACUTE CARE NURSING IS THE ONE!!!!! This is sooo extremely important! I am very disappointed.

Excellent training resource for new graduates
Filled with self paced modules applicable to the critical care, emergency room, and medical-surical setting, High Acuity Nursing is an excellent clinical resource to supplement orientation & training programs of new graduate nurses. Organized by body system, it integrates A&P, clinical nursing applications, and critical thinking all in one. I used it with my new graduates when orienting them to the IMCU, ED, and med-surg units. They found the information helpful in tying in the clinical content they were learning during orientation and the practical application of it. They rated the self learning modules highly in the evaluations. Internal transfers into the ICU have also found it to be helpful when orienting to that new setting. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Gold standard
This is the gold standard for proper technique and procedure for critical care nursing skills. Critical care units around the country use this book as their standard. Helpful to all levels of clinical critical care nursing practitioners. Every ICU should have a copy in their library of reference books. Very helpful if you are changing jobs, a traveler, or perdiem and need a reference for procedures you don't often perform, or that are new to you - it can help you ensure that your practice is safe. There is a push by licensing bodies to have a consistent national standard for nursing procedures - rather than procedures that vary hospital to hospital, or even unit to unit within a hospital!

A useful tool for critical care nurses
This book is very useful as a practical reference in clinical setting and for developing internal procedures.It is well organised and peer reviewed.
Each procedure is clearly described step by step and furthermore the rational for each action specified. The expected outcomes are mentionned, further references are available at the end of each chapter.
I believe that this manual can be useful to nursing students,experienced nurses, advance practice nurses and even physicians working in a ICU. ... Read more

Book Description

Written by emergency nurses for emergency nurses, this comprehensive "Bible" presents both basic information for students and detailed information for practicing emergency nurses. New developments and changes in clinical practice have been incorporated throughout, including updated information on cardiac drugs, tissue adhesives, epidemiological statistics, and application of stents. A new chapter on Weapons of Mass Destruction helps prepare nurses for any possible acts of terrorism. Coverage has been expanded on EMTALA regulations and the HCFA, triage, wound cleaning, and wound management of pediatric patients. ... Read more

Book Description

Thelan's Critical Care Nursing: Diagnosis and Management is the establishedmarket leader in the field of critical care nursing textbooks. This textbook provides a comprehensive, detailed discussion of critical care nursing subjects; its ten units are organized around alterations in body systems. The first unit of Thelan's Critical Care Nursing: Diagnosis and Management lays the foundation of critical care nursing, providing students with background information on issues that affect all aspects of their day to day clinical work. The second unit deals with concerns for specific special populations that the student may encounter in the critical care unit. The remaining units of Thelan's Critical Care Nursing: Diagnosis and Management are organized around alterations in body systems. Each unit begins with a chapter overview of anatomy and physiology for that system. Next, chapters on clinical assessment, complete with specially designated data collection boxes, and chapters on diagnostic procedures are presented to guide students through the basic clinical processes for each body system. Each unitends with chapters on major disorders and therapeutic management techniques. The disorders chapters contain nursing diagnosis boxes linked to Patient Education Boxes that help the student to apply knowledge of the diagnostic process. The therapeutic management chapters present pharmacologic management tables showing the dosages, action, and special considerations for major drugs used in treating disorders for the body system discussed. These chapters end with Clinical Applications that provide case-based examples to help move beyond theory into practice. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Critical Care Nursing Made Incredibly Easy CD-ROM
I thought that the CD was ok.

Great test review tool!
I love this CD! It is a great way to take a break from studying, have fun and still use your precious time effectively! It is filled with humor and even gives you praise for correct answers. If you answer incorrectly, you may get a pie in the face, or your desk may fall through a trap door in the floor! You can choose 3 different modes: endless lecture, problem patient, tedious textbook torture. You can then pick your content from a list of topics. I use it before our units tests to see what I still need to rewiew! Watch your test grades improve. I highly reccomend this fun CD for any nursing student, or anyone considering critical care.

Get a sense of humor
It takes a light look at a serious and stressful job and teaches you at the same time. I did enjoy learning outside my specialty (CCU) as well as refreshing my memory. Not for those who enjoy white pages full of words..geeerrr puts me to sleep better than Ambien. Laugh, learn and enjoy.

Insulting presentation of material
I was stunned to see the format the questions are presented in, described as "fun" on the box.(In addition,I thought this CD-Rom was going to be in the same format as other "Made Incredibly Easy" books, but it is simply a set of review questions). Cartoon images show a nurse (or student) studying, in class, or with a patient(this isn't the bad part). If you answer the question correctly, the teacher smiles, fairy dust comes down on your cartoon character, the patient congratulates you, etc. Here's the stumper though, and I wonder who thought this was a good idea: If you answer the question incorrectly, the teacher's eyes bulge, her face becomes enraged and she screams at you, your classmates laugh at you, the cartoon book in the library becomes large and threatening and screams at you, the enraged patient yells at you, or any variation on this theme. This presentation would be horribly insulting to any professional. Unfortunately, I opened my CD-rom and cannot return it.

critical care made incredibly easy
A good exercise for review or learning in the critical care area. I found the questions to range from easy through very difficult. Some nurses only work in certain areas of critical care i.e., cardiac, burns, brain trauma, so this offers a chance to gain knowledge in areas other then your expertise. It's so simple to answer a cardiac question if you deal with it day in and day out, but a burn question may really stop you in your tracks. What is best is the answer is always given along with the rationale. Also hints are given if you need them, although I like to try and use that option only when really stumped. I also found there to be quite a lot of questions although some come up more often, which would be the only drawback. Another nice options is you can pick the categories you want and the amount of questions you wish to answer. The animation is an added attraction. It puts a little fun into the study time. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Most user friendly reference
I originally purchased this book when I was new to critical care. Recently my copy was misplaced, and I find it difficult to use any other book! It is small enough to have with you at work, and is easy to look up important facts quickly in an ICU setting. There isn't a lot of "fluff" and just the ncecessary information.

Critical Care Quick Review
I work in a Level 1 Trauma Hospital in the Medical and Cardiac Critical care unit, which means really sick patients, with a high acuity level. This book is one of the most user-friendly, comprehensive, how-to manuals I have ever come across. In fact, we have adopted this book for part of our hospital-wide critical care classes with the nursing staff. The detailed descriptions of what it is, why it is, and how to perform the many procedures that we use in critical care were accurately and simply written for even the earliest beginner to understand. It's updated material and medications were current to the info we also use today. I have not found any other book to rival its complete and thorough information. I highly recommend this manual for any nurse, either considering to go into, or in the critical care field!

Wonderful handbook
This is a wonderful handbook of the most important ICU facts. It is very easy to read and has just about everything you need to know about caring for a patient in critical care. Since I have bought the book it has served as a reference guide as well as a study tool for the CCRN exam. I highly recommend this book to any ICU nurse! ... Read more

Book Description

Endorsed by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, this practical pocket guide delivers essential information on the care of critically ill. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

disappointing
I was very disappointed with the pocket handbook for several reasons, the primary being that the ACLS guidelines were not the updated current ones. I also found the small print difficult to read and the use of only black print with no color coding made it hard to search though.

AACN Pocket Handbook of Critical Care Nursing
As a new nurse to ICU I have found this pocket guide handy as a reference, a teacher, and for finding information quickly It is easy to use, with a lot of information needed in the adult ICU. It has a very good section on IV medication with dilutions and infusion times. The size of the actual pocket guide itself is somewhat larger than others that I have seen, but it has easy to read print size. ... Read more

Book Description

Nursing Interventions & Clinical Skills provides complete coverage of basic, intermediate, and advanced skills in a streamlined, visually-oriented format. This text features a unique, user-friendly, full-color presentation, with more than a thousand photos and drawings. The nursing process framework and clear, 2-column format with rationales help put nursing skills into the context of care delivery. Skills are clustered, with similar skills covered together, to reflect the way they are commonly taught. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Best Book for serious Pediatric ICU Nurses
I was lucky to get this book at a used-and-reduced price; however, that doesn't change the fact that the book is outstanding in it's content. I own Hazinski's pediatric ICU "bible", but this book is SO much more detailed. If you want to learn peds cardiology...REALLY learn not only the congenital malformations but the surgery for each malformation with detailed diagrams in a step-by-step process, then this is the book for you. Each section starts with detailed embryology and expands your knowledge base from there. Most of the PICU nurses I work with have grabbed this book out of my nursing bag to use as a reference many times in the month I've owned it. They are all planning to buy it in the near future. This is a great book even if you don't plan to take the AACN certification exam for RNC. I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Much harder than it used to be.
I've had a couple friends review this exam book after they took the test recently (a couple weeks ago), and they all told me the questions are too easy in this book. The actual CCRN questions are worded to confuse you, and the answers you expect to be there aren't there. For example, if a patient has a high potassium, which would you give? In the CCRN, they wouldn't give you some easy choice like keyaxelate or insulin, they'd give you something crazy like sodium polystyrene sulfonate. In the CCRN, they probably wouldn't even mention hyperkalemia. They'd say something like "A patient is on spironolactone and begins to develop dysrhythmias, which of the following would you do?" So it helps to know the rationalization behind the questions in this book, and always know 3 or 4 ways to treating a problem. And when all else fails, rule out each choice as you go along.

Helped me pass CCRN the first time!
I love this book. I have passed it on to my friends as well. I used Laura's CCRN review tapes and this book the first time that I took CCRN and passed. Now, I am taking the test again after 6 years and I am using the same material! Great book!

You could do better than this book
I originally took (and passed) the CCRN six years ago. At that time I used a prior version of this book to study, but upon taking the exam did not feel that the questions adequately prepared me for the test. Experience and wading through the Core Curiculum got me through. Okay, maybe some luck as well.

Now that I have to recertify by retesting, I thought I would give Vonfrolio another shot. I should not have bothered, and here's why. In many questions the rationales are not adequately explained; there are many questions, like the exam itself, where there are two close answers. Why one is better than the other is frequently not discussed. The ACLS questions seemed a bit odd, such as including Isuprel (I'm an ACLS instructor, and Isuprel has been on the outs for ages). To be fair, I do not know if this is representative of the current CCRN exam, but I found it to not be the case six years ago. I also ran into a few questions which contradict some of my prior education - I need to double check to see who is right, but it happened enough that I am now cautious.

... the CCRN exam is tough - the hardest test I have ever taken. I did not feel that the book's wording or level of misery sufficiently represented the exam. You may well find that this works well in conjunction with another resource. And again, I have not taken the test in six years,so it may well have changed. If that is the case I will reconsider my review and edit it as needed. Her CEN exam was pretty close to the test, but I found the CEN substantially easier than the CCRN, and I was working in ICU at the time!

If you're attempting the exam for the first time, let me wish you luck. If - or rather WHEN - you pass, know that you have accomplished something worthwhile. Good luck!

Laura is a must for any critical care nurse
It is a well-known fact that Laura Gasparis Vonfrolio makes sense of that overwhelming mass of information known as critical care. Whether employed in the Pre/Inter-Hospital Enviornment, Emergency Department or Critical Care Unit, a nurse benefits from studying her offerings and attending her seminars. I find the question and answer format an excellent teaching tool, especially with the expanded answer section explaining the rational behind the correct, and incorrect anwers. My only wish is that she would publish a companion CD with the text to practice taking the exam in the new format. A must have for anyone taking the CCRN to do those "mental aerobics" she discusses in preparation for the test. Good luck all! Dori Lawson RN PHRN CEN CFRN

Not what I expected
Short and sweet: It's a big book of multiple choice questions on the CCRN systems. If you are looking for 'cliff's notes' on the exam ......... this isn't it. ... Read more

Book Description

CORE REVIEW FOR NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE NURSING is a companion title to AWHONN, CORE CURRICULUM FOR NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE NURSING, 2/e, cosponsored by both the AACN and NANN (National Association of Neonatal Nurses). The CORE REVIEW presents 500-600 multiple choice study questions on neonatal critical care nursing, featuring a variety of cognitive levels and aspects of the nursing process, with answers and rationales accompanied by references and an annotated bibliography of study resources. It is organized around the same content framework as the CORE CURRICULUM. ... Read more

Book Description

This highly regarded resource is the only book available to provide comprehensive clinical content tailored specifically to perianesthesia nurses. The new fourth edition of this standard text carefully integrates nursing and pharmacologic interventions with detailed pathophysiology. Focusing on research, documentation, and psychosocial considerations, it provides a complete resource for practice and serves as outstanding preparation for ASPAN certification. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A wonderfully informative text!!
This book is a great asset to any PACU nurse. For both new PACU nurses as well as more experienced PACU nurses, this book is an excellent reference. It covers all the systems as well as many of the drugs our patients receive intraop as well as post op. My colleagues agree, and I have ordered this book for some of them as well!! ... Read more

Book Description

This easy-to-use resource equips critical care nurses with basic to advanced information on the care of critically ill patients. Filled with case studies, the book takes a holistic approach that emphasizes alternative therapies such as relaxation, stress reduction, imagery, and touch. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Lot-O-Information
This is an excellent reference, whether studying for the CCRN or simply take it to work and use at the bedside. Covers every body system, hemodynamic monitoring,, ethics and legal issues, pharmacology, and pain. It has a section devoted to advanced concepts in cardiac, respiratory, and neuro systems. Plenty of diagrams and drawing to explain set up of equipment and anatomical sites. Great section on dialysis and waveform interpretations. Also covers alternative therapy in great detail. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

The goal of Darovic's Hemodynamic Monitoring -- Invasive and Noninvasive Clinical Application is to present all the necessary information.Clinically relevant questions are anticipated and clear, practical answers are presented whenever possible. The book is divided into three units. Unit I will focus on anatomy, physiology, and assessment techniques, providing overviews of both the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems, and discussing physical assessment techniques. Unit II discusses specific monitoring Unit III discusses the hemodynamic care of critically ill and injured patients. This unit covers broad reaching concerns like infusion-related sepsis and pharamacologic influences on hemodynamic parameters, and then continues on to address monitoring considerations for patients with specific common presentingproblems. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Thoroughly comprehensive, yet surprisingly readable
I currently work in a Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care setting, and have found this book to be among the best hemodynamic texts available. Its comprehensive presentation of anatomy, technology, and pathophysiology in relation to hemodynamics is arranged very intelligently. What I enjoyed most about this book though was its readability. The language is straightforth and simple without losing any of its meaning, which has lent to its popularity among nursing students performing clinical rotations in the unit. Friends of mine who have borrowed this book invariably purchase their own copy afterwards. It is that good! I reccomend this book to anyone in a field where hemodynamics hold importance. ... Read more

Book Description

AACN's CLINICAL REFERENCE FOR CRITICAL CARE NURSING, 4th Edition, sanctioned by the AACN, continues to be the most comprehensive clinical resource available for critical care nurses. Three new authors, with a combined 62 years of clinical practice, have been teamed with the original authors to guarantee a well-rounded, comprehensive and current presentation of critical care nursing. The content has been extensively revised and reorganized to make this edition more practical for the clinical setting. Introductory, "non-clinical" content has been eliminated making the essential information easier to find. Numerous boxes and tables are integrated throughout, increasing the visual appeal. Plus, hundreds of line illustrations are completely new or have been redrawn to provide clarity. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Bible of Critical Care Nursing
...That about says it all. This is THE pre-eminent reference for critical care nursing. Excellent as a resource for the novice, advanced enough for the expert practitioner and everyone in between the ends of the spectrum. Lots of good tables and examples to illustrate points, and is, for the most part, easy to read. I use mine everyday in practice as a clinical educator and after 18 years, I still find things in there that I either didn't know or tidbits that help me clarify points for my students/orientees. Worth the money!

$$$
Negatives: Expensive. There are not enough diagrams and pictures. Leaves much to the imagination. Some areas not well organized. Positives: most detailed textbook related to critical care without being a medical textbook and cater toward nursing. Excellent pathophysiology descriptions. Everything is broken down to the most basic cellular level. I never knew how much I did not know until I read this book. Highly recommended.

was not user friendly
This was too much like a text book. Nurses at our facility said "send it back" it is not user friendly!! ... Read more