In this essentials version of the bestselling critical care nursing textbook (Thelan's Critical Care Nursing: Diagnosis and Management, 5th Edition), Priorities in Critical Care Nursing, 5th Edition concisely addresses all of the core critical care nursing topics and helps you identify priorities to effectively manage patient care. Priorities in Critical Care Nursing also covers ethical and legal issues, patient and family education, psychosocial alterations, sleep alterations, nutritional alterations, gerontologic considerations, and end-of-life care.

UNIQUE! Determining your diagnosis priorities is simple with Nursing Diagnosis Priorities boxes accompanying each medical disorder and major medical treatment discussion. UNIQUE! Patient Safety Priorities boxes included in each therapeutic management chapter highlight important patient safety considerations. Collaborative Management boxes guide you through management of a wide variety of disorders.

Full-color design and illustrations throughout give you a real-life look at critical care. End-of-Life Care chapter discusses advance directives, palliative care, withdrawal of mechanical ventilation, and organ donation. Hematologic and Oncologic Issues chapter in the "Multisystem Alterations" unit addresses issues related to immunosuppression oncology and hematologic oncology, including disseminated intravascular coagulation, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, and tumor lysis syndrome. Evidence-Based Collaborative Practice features summarize evidence-based recommendations for a variety of therapies. Patient Education features guide you in patient education for disorders including stroke, craniotomy, and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Common critical conditions are easily understandable with Concept Maps on conditions including intracranial hypertension, acute respiratory failure, acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage, myocardial infarction, acute respiratory distress syndrome, diabetes mellitus, and septic shock.