Exam 1; Unit 1; Overview of Critical
Care well answered
Why were critical care specialty units developed? - ANS ✔✔From recognition that patients with
acute, life-threatening illness/injury could be managed more effectively if they were placed on
specifically designated units
How did Florence Nightingale contribute to specialty units? - ANS ✔✔She described the
advantages of placing patients recovering form surgery in a separate area
(People with surgical wounds do not go next to people with infections)
Who opened the earliest intensive care unit? When? - ANS ✔✔John Hopkins in the early 1900s
What two world events influenced the development of specialty units? - ANS ✔✔World War II
and Korean wars (mass units opened up to care for these patients)
Critical Care Nursing as a "specialty" is less than ____ years old. - ANS ✔✔50
Critical Care Units opened across the country in the _________. - ANS ✔✔1960s
What are the five types of speciality units? - ANS ✔✔· ICU
· CCU & CVICU
· SICU/MICU
· Special Populations/Specialties
· Progressive/Intermediate Care Units
, What does CCU stand for? CVICU? - ANS ✔✔Coronary Care Unit
Cardiovascular ICU
What does SICU/MICU stand for? - ANS ✔✔Surgical-ICU, Medical-ICU
What are two examples of conditions seen in a MICU? - ANS ✔✔DKA, Sepsis
What are examples of specialty units for special populations? specialities? - ANS ✔✔NICU, PICU
near, burns, trauma
What does PCU stand for? - ANS ✔✔Progressive Care Unit (aka Intermediate Care Units)
What type of unit is a PCU? - ANS ✔✔Patients who are hemodynamically stable without liability
in vital signs (no arrhythmias), but for some reason they are not ready to be extubated (need
more time to be weaned from the vent)
Titrating cardiac drugs, etc. will require a specialty floor
Step down- don't need the excessive monitoring in ICU but aren't stable enough to be on a
regular floor
What is an example of a PCU? - ANS ✔✔LTAC
What patient : nurse ratio is seen in a PCU? - ANS ✔✔3:1 ratios
Which organization is concerned with critical care units? - ANS ✔✔The American Association of
Critical Care Nurses (AACN)
How does the AACN define critical care nursing? - ANS ✔✔A specialty dealing with human
responses to life-threatening problems [actual or potential]
Care well answered
Why were critical care specialty units developed? - ANS ✔✔From recognition that patients with
acute, life-threatening illness/injury could be managed more effectively if they were placed on
specifically designated units
How did Florence Nightingale contribute to specialty units? - ANS ✔✔She described the
advantages of placing patients recovering form surgery in a separate area
(People with surgical wounds do not go next to people with infections)
Who opened the earliest intensive care unit? When? - ANS ✔✔John Hopkins in the early 1900s
What two world events influenced the development of specialty units? - ANS ✔✔World War II
and Korean wars (mass units opened up to care for these patients)
Critical Care Nursing as a "specialty" is less than ____ years old. - ANS ✔✔50
Critical Care Units opened across the country in the _________. - ANS ✔✔1960s
What are the five types of speciality units? - ANS ✔✔· ICU
· CCU & CVICU
· SICU/MICU
· Special Populations/Specialties
· Progressive/Intermediate Care Units
, What does CCU stand for? CVICU? - ANS ✔✔Coronary Care Unit
Cardiovascular ICU
What does SICU/MICU stand for? - ANS ✔✔Surgical-ICU, Medical-ICU
What are two examples of conditions seen in a MICU? - ANS ✔✔DKA, Sepsis
What are examples of specialty units for special populations? specialities? - ANS ✔✔NICU, PICU
near, burns, trauma
What does PCU stand for? - ANS ✔✔Progressive Care Unit (aka Intermediate Care Units)
What type of unit is a PCU? - ANS ✔✔Patients who are hemodynamically stable without liability
in vital signs (no arrhythmias), but for some reason they are not ready to be extubated (need
more time to be weaned from the vent)
Titrating cardiac drugs, etc. will require a specialty floor
Step down- don't need the excessive monitoring in ICU but aren't stable enough to be on a
regular floor
What is an example of a PCU? - ANS ✔✔LTAC
What patient : nurse ratio is seen in a PCU? - ANS ✔✔3:1 ratios
Which organization is concerned with critical care units? - ANS ✔✔The American Association of
Critical Care Nurses (AACN)
How does the AACN define critical care nursing? - ANS ✔✔A specialty dealing with human
responses to life-threatening problems [actual or potential]
