PROGRESSIVE CARE RN A BUNDLED
QUESTIONS 2026 WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ critical care nursing. Answer: specialty area within nursing that
manages human responses to actual or potential life-threatening
problems
CCRN- licensed professional nurse who is responsible for ensuring
optimal care for critically ill patients and their families
◉ critical care nursing units. Answer: ICU
CCU
CVICU
trauma ICU
neuro ICU
PICU
MSICU
NICU
PACU
cath lab
telemetry
,PCCU
ED
medevac
respiratory rehab
anywhere requiring advanced skills
◉ definition of a critically ill patient. Answer: high risk for action or
potential life-threatening health problems
ex. carotid endardectomies, high risk for stroke
patients who require intense and vigilant nursing care
◉ role of critical care nurses. Answer: collect and interpret key data
from complex assessments
delivers high-intensity therapies and interventions
provides continuous nursing vigilance
relay upon a specialized body of knowledge, skills, experience to
provide care to patients and families and create environments that
are healing, humane and caring
◉ intensive care. Answer: high risk or actual life-threatening health
dx
require more sophisticated technologies
need more hours of nursing care expertise
,2:1 or 1:1 rations
◉ intermediate (progressive) care. Answer: hemodynamically stable
but mod risk for instability
can have art lines, central lines, trach vent, cardiac drips for short
amount of time
some advanced monitoring/nursing care- femoral/external pacers,
LVAD, chest tubes
greater ability to participate in their care
3:1 or 4:1 ratios
◉ patient progression. Answer: patients require the same standard
of care throughout the continuum of care
patients transfer from critical care to step down when the degree of
vigilance changes
vigilance changes from continuous to intermittent
care coordination- collaboration between several ancillary services
housewide bedflow meetings- improve allocation of resources and
optimal patient bed assignments
◉ rapid response team. Answer: bring critical care expertise to the
bedside
helps revent failure to rescue
, ◉ when to call a rapid. Answer: heart rate over 140/min or less than
40/min
respiratory rate over 28/min or less than 8/min (#1 SIGN OF
CRITICAL ILLNESS)
systolic BP > 180 or < 90 (MAP > 60 is ok)
o2 sat < 90% despite supplementation
acute change in mental status
urine output less than 50cc over 4 hours
staff member has significant concern about pts condition
◉ healthy work environment. Answer: skilled communication
true collaboration
effective decision making- shared governance model
appropriate staffing- numbers and skill max
meaningful recognition
authentic leadership
◉ patient and family stressors. Answer: most impacted- elderly, very
young, post op, unconscious
causes- nutrition, anxiety (loss of control), pain (assume pain when
sedated/paralyzed), impaired communication, sensory-perception
problems, delirium (high risk after 1-2 days, can be hyper or
hypoactive), sleep problems
QUESTIONS 2026 WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ critical care nursing. Answer: specialty area within nursing that
manages human responses to actual or potential life-threatening
problems
CCRN- licensed professional nurse who is responsible for ensuring
optimal care for critically ill patients and their families
◉ critical care nursing units. Answer: ICU
CCU
CVICU
trauma ICU
neuro ICU
PICU
MSICU
NICU
PACU
cath lab
telemetry
,PCCU
ED
medevac
respiratory rehab
anywhere requiring advanced skills
◉ definition of a critically ill patient. Answer: high risk for action or
potential life-threatening health problems
ex. carotid endardectomies, high risk for stroke
patients who require intense and vigilant nursing care
◉ role of critical care nurses. Answer: collect and interpret key data
from complex assessments
delivers high-intensity therapies and interventions
provides continuous nursing vigilance
relay upon a specialized body of knowledge, skills, experience to
provide care to patients and families and create environments that
are healing, humane and caring
◉ intensive care. Answer: high risk or actual life-threatening health
dx
require more sophisticated technologies
need more hours of nursing care expertise
,2:1 or 1:1 rations
◉ intermediate (progressive) care. Answer: hemodynamically stable
but mod risk for instability
can have art lines, central lines, trach vent, cardiac drips for short
amount of time
some advanced monitoring/nursing care- femoral/external pacers,
LVAD, chest tubes
greater ability to participate in their care
3:1 or 4:1 ratios
◉ patient progression. Answer: patients require the same standard
of care throughout the continuum of care
patients transfer from critical care to step down when the degree of
vigilance changes
vigilance changes from continuous to intermittent
care coordination- collaboration between several ancillary services
housewide bedflow meetings- improve allocation of resources and
optimal patient bed assignments
◉ rapid response team. Answer: bring critical care expertise to the
bedside
helps revent failure to rescue
, ◉ when to call a rapid. Answer: heart rate over 140/min or less than
40/min
respiratory rate over 28/min or less than 8/min (#1 SIGN OF
CRITICAL ILLNESS)
systolic BP > 180 or < 90 (MAP > 60 is ok)
o2 sat < 90% despite supplementation
acute change in mental status
urine output less than 50cc over 4 hours
staff member has significant concern about pts condition
◉ healthy work environment. Answer: skilled communication
true collaboration
effective decision making- shared governance model
appropriate staffing- numbers and skill max
meaningful recognition
authentic leadership
◉ patient and family stressors. Answer: most impacted- elderly, very
young, post op, unconscious
causes- nutrition, anxiety (loss of control), pain (assume pain when
sedated/paralyzed), impaired communication, sensory-perception
problems, delirium (high risk after 1-2 days, can be hyper or
hypoactive), sleep problems
