Critical Care and Emergency Nursing
What you must understand
Expect triage, resuscitation, shock recognition, and monitoring of the deteriorating patient. Know the ABCDE approach, the signs of shock (tachycardia, hypotension, cool peripheries, altered consciousness), and the basics of oxygen delivery and airway adjuncts.
Traps in questions
- Triage priority - life-threatening conditions (airway obstruction, severe bleeding, chest pain) go first; the walking wounded wait. A quiet, still child in a busy emergency department is more concerning than a screaming one.
- Shock - hypotension is a late sign; treat early tachycardia and altered mental status.
- Oxygen - titrate to target saturation; high-flow oxygen is not harmless in all patients.
- Handover - use a structured format (situation, background, assessment, recommendation) and confirm the receiving clinician heard the critical information.
Worked rule of thumb
In any emergency, follow ABCDE: Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure. Treat each problem before moving on. If a patient deteriorates, return to A. This structure reliably resolves priority questions.
Monitoring principle
Early warning scores and trends detect deterioration before collapse. Escalate on the trend, not on a single reading.