The authoritative, evidence-based coverage you need to safely and competently care for adult, critically ill patients and their families – or prepare for the critical care nursing certification exam Endorsed by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and written by top clinical experts in acute care nursing, this textbook thoroughly covers all the need-to-know details on the care of adult, critically ill patients and their families. Supported by helpful tables and algorithms, the book's practical, building-block organization starts with the basics before proceeding to more complex concepts, paralleling the blueprint for the critical care nursing CCRN certification examination. AACN Essentials of Critical Care Nursing is divided into four logical sections, which, taken as a whole, will give you complete understanding of this challenging area of nursing practice: