Abstract:
The focus of nursing practice is patient-centered care. This means that all assessment,
interventions, and actions taken by a nurse are as specific to each individual patient as possible.
Different hospital units are specialized to provide more specialized care for different types of
patients. Critical care units provide care to patients who are severely ill. This includes patients
with acute, life threatening illnesses, post-surgical patients, and patients who need a high level of
care and monitoring. Critical care nurses work closely with different specialties to provide direct
and focused care. I worked with multiple patients in Ball Memorial Hospital’s critical care units
and was able to observe and practice the skills involved in critical care nursing. Through a series
of case studies, I developed my critical thinking skills and ability to connect the different disease
processes affecting a patient’s health.
