lOMoAR cPSD| 22962964
NURS411 Final Exam Study Notes | Critical Care
Nursing Foundations Review Guide &
Comprehensive Exam Prep 2026
🔹 [LECTURE 1] Critical Care, Patient & Family Response,
Ethical & Legal Issues
1. Foundations of Critical Care Nursing
● Definitions: Critical illness and injury
● Human response to life-threatening conditions
● Focus on physiological and psychological needs
2. Roles and Characteristics of the Critical Care Nurse
● Work settings: ICU, RRT, EMS, etc.
● Code types (Blue, Trauma, STEMI, Stroke, Sepsis)
● Required skills: technical competence, multitasking, prioritization
3. Professional Organizations
● AACN (American Association of Critical Care Nurses)
● Society of Critical Care Medicine
4. Technology and Informatics in Critical Care
● Electronic health records (EHRs)
● Clinical decision support
● Input/output devices
5. Multidisciplinary and Collaborative Practice
pg. 1
, lOMoAR cPSD| 22962964
●
● Interdisciplinary teams and rounding
● Evidence-based practice (bundles, protocols)
● Healthy People 2030 framework
6. Communication in Critical Care
● Crew Resource Management principles
● SBAR/SBAP for handoffs
● Barriers to communication
7. Current Trends and Issues in Critical Care
● Technology use and hospital readmissions
● Aging population and workforce
● Ethical challenges: futile treatment, telemedicine, new grad integration
8. Patient- and Family-Centered Care (PFCC)
● Definition and components of PFCC
● Cultural and religious considerations
● Language barriers
9. Family Presence in the Critical Care Setting
● Benefits and opposition
● Legal and emotional implications
10. Quality of Life After Critical Care
pg. 2
, lOMoAR cPSD| 22962964
● Post-ICU syndrome (PICS)
Psychological effects
● Family and patient preparation for transfer
11. Communicating with Families – The VALUE Framework
● Value, Acknowledge, Listen, Understand, Elicit questions
12. Ethical Issues in Critical Care
● Informed consent
● Withdrawal/withholding of treatment
● Confidentiality
● Organ transplantation
● Resource allocation
● Life-sustaining technology
13. Ethical Principles in Nursing
● Advocacy
● Beneficence
● Nonmaleficence
● Justice
● Fidelity
● Veracity
14. Informed Consent: Elements and Ethical Significance
pg. 3
, lOMoAR cPSD| 22962964
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● Competence, voluntariness, disclosure
15. Ordinary vs Extraordinary Care
● Definitions and examples
16. Ethical Decision-Making Process
● Framework and key questions
17. Dosage Calculation Exam
● Required score and expectations
● Example problems with calculations
🔹 [LECTURE 2] Palliative, End of Life (EOL), Comfort &
Sedation
1. Nursing Considerations in End-of-Life (EOL) Care
● Palliative vs. EOL care
● Alleviation of distressing symptoms
● Therapy limitation and withdrawal
● Psychological and emotional support
2. Self-Care for Nurses
● Stress management
● Compassion fatigue
pg. 4
NURS411 Final Exam Study Notes | Critical Care
Nursing Foundations Review Guide &
Comprehensive Exam Prep 2026
🔹 [LECTURE 1] Critical Care, Patient & Family Response,
Ethical & Legal Issues
1. Foundations of Critical Care Nursing
● Definitions: Critical illness and injury
● Human response to life-threatening conditions
● Focus on physiological and psychological needs
2. Roles and Characteristics of the Critical Care Nurse
● Work settings: ICU, RRT, EMS, etc.
● Code types (Blue, Trauma, STEMI, Stroke, Sepsis)
● Required skills: technical competence, multitasking, prioritization
3. Professional Organizations
● AACN (American Association of Critical Care Nurses)
● Society of Critical Care Medicine
4. Technology and Informatics in Critical Care
● Electronic health records (EHRs)
● Clinical decision support
● Input/output devices
5. Multidisciplinary and Collaborative Practice
pg. 1
, lOMoAR cPSD| 22962964
●
● Interdisciplinary teams and rounding
● Evidence-based practice (bundles, protocols)
● Healthy People 2030 framework
6. Communication in Critical Care
● Crew Resource Management principles
● SBAR/SBAP for handoffs
● Barriers to communication
7. Current Trends and Issues in Critical Care
● Technology use and hospital readmissions
● Aging population and workforce
● Ethical challenges: futile treatment, telemedicine, new grad integration
8. Patient- and Family-Centered Care (PFCC)
● Definition and components of PFCC
● Cultural and religious considerations
● Language barriers
9. Family Presence in the Critical Care Setting
● Benefits and opposition
● Legal and emotional implications
10. Quality of Life After Critical Care
pg. 2
, lOMoAR cPSD| 22962964
● Post-ICU syndrome (PICS)
Psychological effects
● Family and patient preparation for transfer
11. Communicating with Families – The VALUE Framework
● Value, Acknowledge, Listen, Understand, Elicit questions
12. Ethical Issues in Critical Care
● Informed consent
● Withdrawal/withholding of treatment
● Confidentiality
● Organ transplantation
● Resource allocation
● Life-sustaining technology
13. Ethical Principles in Nursing
● Advocacy
● Beneficence
● Nonmaleficence
● Justice
● Fidelity
● Veracity
14. Informed Consent: Elements and Ethical Significance
pg. 3
, lOMoAR cPSD| 22962964
●
● Competence, voluntariness, disclosure
15. Ordinary vs Extraordinary Care
● Definitions and examples
16. Ethical Decision-Making Process
● Framework and key questions
17. Dosage Calculation Exam
● Required score and expectations
● Example problems with calculations
🔹 [LECTURE 2] Palliative, End of Life (EOL), Comfort &
Sedation
1. Nursing Considerations in End-of-Life (EOL) Care
● Palliative vs. EOL care
● Alleviation of distressing symptoms
● Therapy limitation and withdrawal
● Psychological and emotional support
2. Self-Care for Nurses
● Stress management
● Compassion fatigue
pg. 4
