ABSTRACT

Critical care nurses are typically some of the most highly trained nurses in any given hospital. Although critical care is a highly technical area, basic nursing is still the foundation of the care that a service provides. The nursing staff will provide oral hygiene for the mechanically ventilated patient to maintain comfort, dental hygiene and reduce the risk from ventilator-associated pneumonia. Nurses also form the linchpin of communication between the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and family, providing family-centred care. The role of critical care nurses in the UK is very different from that of the United States of America model, where the MDT is larger and different individuals provide various aspects of care. The nurse-to-patient ratio is a vital component of the delivery of critical care, and reflects how broad the role of a critical care nurse is. Critical care nurses are registered adult nurses and have been through three years of basic training.