Nursing Care in the ICU

The ICU environment is challenging for both patients and staff. The management of critically ill patients is extremely demanding, and the workload and knowledge level required of staff are high. ICU nurses are responsible for the care and treatment of patients in an unstable and/or critical clinical state, assessment of therapies, and the performance of high-intensity interventions. ICU nursing practice includes crucial clinical decisions based on the best available scientific evidence, clinical experience, and patient preferences. ICU nurses carry out specific, autonomous, or complementary interventions of a technical-scientific, managerial, relational, and educational nature; plan healthcare assistance through scientifically validated tools; and identify, analyze, calculate, and treat risks related to care provision by systematically evaluating healthcare outcomes. This reprint consists of eleven chapters, including eight research reports, one review, and two case reports, and is dedicated to the valuable, hardworking, and respected ICU nursing staff.