1st Edition

Critical Care Nursing in Resource Limited Environments

By Chris Carter Copyright 2019
    356 Pages
    by Routledge

    356 Pages
    by Routledge

    All hospitals have critically ill patients, and their management depends upon the resources available. In many low income countries, critically ill patients may be admitted to a critical care unit; however, many are nursed on wards due to a lack of critical care beds or simply die before they reach the hospital.

    This book provides guidance on the unique situations for nurses working in these challenging environments, while considering ethical decision-making, providing appropriate services, and the types of patients admitted. Topics covered include:

    • working in a resource limited environment;
    • cultural awareness and international agendas;
    • provision and access to healthcare services;
    • ethical considerations in the context of resource limited environments;
    • best practice and knowledge regarding rehabilitation, pain management, managing a major incident;
    • relevant research concerning resource limited environments.

    Critical Care Nursing in Resource Limited Environments prepares readers to consider how best to utilise their skills and deliver safe patient care within a resource limited context. Each easy-to-read chapter provides core knowledge and relevant research, as well as useful ideas and solutions, with further reading sections to signpost readers to key international resources. This text provides practical ideas for nurses working in critical care and defence nursing, and acute areas in resource limited environments. It can also be used to support educational courses and pre-deployment training for nurses hoping to work in Global Health.

    1. Introduction: Expect the unexpected

    2. Working in a resource limited environment

    3. Cultural awareness and sensitivities Sue Viveash

    4. International agendas

    5. Access and provision of healthcare services

    6. Providing critical care in resource limited environments

    7. Critical care equipment

    8. Environmental and infection prevention control considerations

    9. Managing a major incident in critical care

    10. Ethical considerations and mission creep

    11. Recognition of the acutely ill patient

    12. Oxygen therapy and monitoring

    13. Mechanical ventilation

    14. Sepsis and septic shock

    15. HIV

    16. Tuberculosis

    17. Tropical medicine

    18. Malaria

    19. Tetanus

    20. Cholera

    21. Sickle cell anaemia

    22. Principles of trauma care

    23. Principles of burns care

    24. Surgical care

    25. Principles of wound care

    26. Surgical site infection

    27. Pain management

    28. Women’s health

    29. Paediatrics

    30. Organophosphate poisoning

    31. Snake and scorpion bites

    32. Hypertension

    33. Diabetic keto-acidosis

    34. Resuscitation

    35. Useful calculations

    36. Rehabilitation and physiotherapy

    37. Nutrition

    38. Sharing best practice and knowledge

    39. Conducting audit and research in resource limited environments

    Biography

    Chris Carter is a Major in Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps, where he has had roles as a practitioner and as an educator. He is currently a nurse lecturer at the Defence School of Healthcare Education, Department of Healthcare Education, Birmingham City University, UK. Major Carter chairs the Royal College of Nursing Defence Nursing Forum.

    "The book is purposeful, practical and a model of professionalism. The author never resorts to the sensationalism or sentimentalism that pervades the literature from the global north about nursing in low-income countries. The author has a dispassionate style that is rational and mindful of the need to provide unequivocal information. The single-author approach has given the book a consistent style of writing that avoids overlap and repetition. The clinical content is as detailed as possible and contains many guidelines, and black and white pictures and photographs. The references are superb and contain a considerable amount of evidence and information about a fledgling topic. The book describes the phenomenon of global health and provides some justification for the growing number of critical care units in low-income countries. Another worthy feature of the book is the information about defence nursing and the type of resource-limited environments that confront the military."

    David Muir. PhD Candidate, University of Hull