ABSTRACT
Fundamentals of care, the first of seven pillars of learning, is underpinned by a contemporary movement that refocuses attention on nursing and on the essential knowledge, skills, and values required for person-centred care. In 2012, a group of international nurse leaders initiated a debate, an action plan and a fundamentals of care framework. The framework provides nurses with a roadmap to help navigate through the elements of the fundamentals of care model. An anonymised scenario details the journey of a patient, Jay, through intensive care. The application of the fundamentals of care framework illustrates how this is an integral part of nursing practice, including in high-tech healthcare settings. In this chapter, crucial aspects of intensive care nursing, care-recipient nurse relationships and practice-related issues will be illustrated and analysed with the support of evidence. The chapter concludes by offering structured reflections focusing on the integration of the scenario and the framework into a realisable care narrative.
