Acute Care Nursing

Acute Care Nursing provides an accessible and practical overview of the role of the nurse in acute medical and surgical settings in the Australian and New Zealand context.

Linking closely with the Australian 'Registered nurse standards for practice' and the New Zealand Competencies for registered nurses, this text equips students with foundational knowledge of the pathophysiology, treatment and legal and ethical issues associated with common acute conditions. Through the person-centred, collaborative care approach, students will also learn effective communication, decision-making and cultural competency skills that are essential for nurses in any practice context.

Each chapter is enriched with pedagogical features designed to solidify understanding and promote critical thinking, including case studies, reflections, key terms, review questions, research topics and further readings. Offering students a relevant and contemporary understanding of the acute care context, Acute Care Nursing is an essential companion that can be taken from the classroom into practice.

About the Authors

Julia Gilbert is a lecturer and course convenor at the School of Nursing, Federation University Australia. She has been a registered nurse for over thirty years, working in a variety of clinical and academic settings including acute and chronic care, aged care, midwifery and academia. In addition to her extensive nursing experience, she has completed a Bachelor of Laws and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice and was admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland as a legal practitioner in 2008.

Elisabeth Coyne is a Senior Lecturer and director of the Master of Acute Care at Griffith University, Queensland. She has been a registered nurse for more than thirty years and worked in a range of clinical areas. Elisabeth's research explores patients and family experience of cancer and works to improve health outcomes for this group. She has developed family nursing videos to provide a resource for nurses to help them engage with families to provide tailored support during hospitalisation. Ongoing research aims to engage with oncology nurses to provide them with resources to build the connection with the patients and families in their care.