CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACK GROUD
Critical illness is any disease process, which causes physiological instability leading to disability or death within minutes or hours. Neurological and cardio respiratory systems generally have the immediate life-threatening effects. Fortunately, such instability can be reliably detected by deviations from the normal range in simple clinical observations such as level of consciousness, respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure and urinary output ( Frost & Wise, 2007). Critical care nursing is a specialty in its own right and with its own nature within the nursing profession. Critical care nurses contribute to improve patient outcomes, reduce morbidity and mortality, reduce complications and errors, …show more content…
Different studies reported that patients admitted from general wards to intensive care unit have higher mortality than those from Emergency department and operating theatre (Goldhill, McNarry, Mandersloot,& McGinley 2005).
However, other studies show that 80% of critically ill patients who are cared within the ward receive suboptimal care. These occur due to lack of knowledge on systematic assessment approach to nurses and other medical staffs in managing airway, breathing and circulation. Other reason for suboptimal care include lack of recognition of deterioration due to poor assessment skills in both nursing and medical staff, and other reason are failure to appreciate clinical urgency is also related to the ability to determine which vital signs should be acted upon immediately (Quirke, Coombs & McEldowney, 2011). …show more content…
Majority of acute critical illnesses develops slowly, over many hours and is associated with the early presence of abnormal vital signs like fall or rise of temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration rate, oxygen saturation and level of consciousness, which is known as precursor of critical illness (Atkinson, 2013). If patients physiological abnormalities are not recognized earlier or with non-competent skilled nurses, the patient’s condition may deteriorate further and/or lead to death (Atkinson, 2013). Effective observation of ward patients is the first key step in identifying the deterioration of patients and effectively managing their care (Odell, Victor, & Oliver, 2009). Unfortunately, in most wards vital signs measurement is taken infrequently even in sick patients. As a result, nurses fail to recognize patients who are deteriorate and act correctly to treat them (Gwinnutt& Smith, 2010)
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACK GROUD
Critical illness is any disease process, which causes physiological instability leading to disability or death within minutes or hours. Neurological and cardio respiratory systems generally have the immediate life-threatening effects. Fortunately, such instability can be reliably detected by deviations from the normal range in simple clinical observations such as level of consciousness, respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure and urinary output ( Frost & Wise, 2007). Critical care nursing is a specialty in its own right and with its own nature within the nursing profession. Critical care nurses contribute to improve patient outcomes, reduce morbidity and mortality, reduce complications and errors, …show more content…
Different studies reported that patients admitted from general wards to intensive care unit have higher mortality than those from Emergency department and operating theatre (Goldhill, McNarry, Mandersloot,& McGinley 2005).
However, other studies show that 80% of critically ill patients who are cared within the ward receive suboptimal care. These occur due to lack of knowledge on systematic assessment approach to nurses and other medical staffs in managing airway, breathing and circulation. Other reason for suboptimal care include lack of recognition of deterioration due to poor assessment skills in both nursing and medical staff, and other reason are failure to appreciate clinical urgency is also related to the ability to determine which vital signs should be acted upon immediately (Quirke, Coombs & McEldowney, 2011). …show more content…
Majority of acute critical illnesses develops slowly, over many hours and is associated with the early presence of abnormal vital signs like fall or rise of temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration rate, oxygen saturation and level of consciousness, which is known as precursor of critical illness (Atkinson, 2013). If patients physiological abnormalities are not recognized earlier or with non-competent skilled nurses, the patient’s condition may deteriorate further and/or lead to death (Atkinson, 2013). Effective observation of ward patients is the first key step in identifying the deterioration of patients and effectively managing their care (Odell, Victor, & Oliver, 2009). Unfortunately, in most wards vital signs measurement is taken infrequently even in sick patients. As a result, nurses fail to recognize patients who are deteriorate and act correctly to treat them (Gwinnutt& Smith, 2010)