1
CRITICAL CARE NURSING EXAM COMPREHENSIVE
PRACTICE REVISION QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) 2026-28
LATEST VERSION
what was the evolution of critical care nursing? - Answer:
critical care units came into existence in the 1970's. this lead to
specialties.
what are the professional organizations of critical care? -
Answer: American associate of critical-care nurses- specifically
for nurses
society of critical care medicine- for doctors, RT, nurses, etc.
quality and safety of critical care - Answer: national patient
safety goals:
patient identification- 2 identifiers
improve communication- JACO requires report of critical lab/pt
within 1 hour
improve medication safety- follow the lines at the beginning of
the shift, label bags, etc.
alarm safety- medications are LOUD in ICU (life saving drugs)-->
high sound on pump
,2
reduce risk of health care-associated infection- CAUDI and
CLAPSI
identify safety risk- JACO requires we ask about suicide on
admission
prevent complications associated with procedures- do "time
outs"
what are "bundles"? - Answer: list of things to do to prevent
something from occurring (guide lines)
these come from the literature
healthy work environment has which two components? -
Answer: communication and collaboration
communication - Answer: nurses, doctors, patients, family, etc.
talking with each other
collaboration - Answer: in ICU, you will work with a multitude
of different teams and workers
trends and issues with the ICU - Answer: burn out is common
nurses are getting older
,3
new technology
moving off ICU sooner w/ floor nurse coming to get the patient
from ICU to help eliminate anxiety about moving
we have new, more unexperienced nurses taking over/coming
onto the floor
what should you do if a patient is in the ICU with many
different lines, devices, etc. and family wants to see them? -
Answer: you need to do education by explaining what is
happening, what to expect, what things do, etc.--> this helps to
eliminate people feeling scared
critical care environment - Answer: sensory overload
lighting
design
sensory overload in ICU - Answer: pumps going off, ventilators
dinging, BP/HR/RR/etc.
*high risk for delirium*
, 4
lighting in ICU - Answer: crappy, artificial
use natural lighting when possible
design of ICU - Answer: ideally:
huge rooms to accommodate lots of equipment, family, large
windows (open them during the day!)
critically ill patients - Answer: patient stressors
discharge from critical care
lifespan care
patient stressors with the critically ill patient - Answer: need to
reorient the patient once they start waking up, "hi my name is
maddie i'm the nurse. you are at UIHC..."
scary situation for the patient to wake up to
*pain is a big stressor*
discharge form critical care - Answer: leaving the ICU can be
scary because the patient no longer has the same 1 nurse that
is continuously monitoring them
CRITICAL CARE NURSING EXAM COMPREHENSIVE
PRACTICE REVISION QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) 2026-28
LATEST VERSION
what was the evolution of critical care nursing? - Answer:
critical care units came into existence in the 1970's. this lead to
specialties.
what are the professional organizations of critical care? -
Answer: American associate of critical-care nurses- specifically
for nurses
society of critical care medicine- for doctors, RT, nurses, etc.
quality and safety of critical care - Answer: national patient
safety goals:
patient identification- 2 identifiers
improve communication- JACO requires report of critical lab/pt
within 1 hour
improve medication safety- follow the lines at the beginning of
the shift, label bags, etc.
alarm safety- medications are LOUD in ICU (life saving drugs)-->
high sound on pump
,2
reduce risk of health care-associated infection- CAUDI and
CLAPSI
identify safety risk- JACO requires we ask about suicide on
admission
prevent complications associated with procedures- do "time
outs"
what are "bundles"? - Answer: list of things to do to prevent
something from occurring (guide lines)
these come from the literature
healthy work environment has which two components? -
Answer: communication and collaboration
communication - Answer: nurses, doctors, patients, family, etc.
talking with each other
collaboration - Answer: in ICU, you will work with a multitude
of different teams and workers
trends and issues with the ICU - Answer: burn out is common
nurses are getting older
,3
new technology
moving off ICU sooner w/ floor nurse coming to get the patient
from ICU to help eliminate anxiety about moving
we have new, more unexperienced nurses taking over/coming
onto the floor
what should you do if a patient is in the ICU with many
different lines, devices, etc. and family wants to see them? -
Answer: you need to do education by explaining what is
happening, what to expect, what things do, etc.--> this helps to
eliminate people feeling scared
critical care environment - Answer: sensory overload
lighting
design
sensory overload in ICU - Answer: pumps going off, ventilators
dinging, BP/HR/RR/etc.
*high risk for delirium*
, 4
lighting in ICU - Answer: crappy, artificial
use natural lighting when possible
design of ICU - Answer: ideally:
huge rooms to accommodate lots of equipment, family, large
windows (open them during the day!)
critically ill patients - Answer: patient stressors
discharge from critical care
lifespan care
patient stressors with the critically ill patient - Answer: need to
reorient the patient once they start waking up, "hi my name is
maddie i'm the nurse. you are at UIHC..."
scary situation for the patient to wake up to
*pain is a big stressor*
discharge form critical care - Answer: leaving the ICU can be
scary because the patient no longer has the same 1 nurse that
is continuously monitoring them
