AACN publishes revised 'Procedure Manual for Critical Care Nursing'

The latest edition of the "AACN Procedure Manual for Critical Care Nursing" increases the focus on patient safety and infection prevention, while continuing to emphasize evidence-based practice.

Published by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), the 1,312-page manual presents procedures for the critical care environment in an easy-to-use illustrated and step-by-step format. The Procedures and Patient Monitoring sections are presented in a special tabular format with considerations and rationales for each intervention.

"AACN first published its manual of critical care nursing procedures in 1980 and over the past 30 years, the reference book has become a go-to guide for hospital unit managers, training coordinators, educators and advanced practice nurses," says Ramón Lavandero, RN, MA, MSN, FAAN, AACN's director of communications and strategic alliances.

Updates to the 6th edition include an easy-to-use format that allows users to quickly find and review the exact content they need with comprehensive information on every procedure. Advanced practice procedures are clearly identified so nurses can quickly judge whether a specific procedure is within their scope of practice.

This revised edition also features new icons for patient identification and time-out Joint Commission Universal Protocols. It also highlights new icons for CDC Standard Precautions for hand washing and applying protective clothing and equipment.

"As hospitals struggle to assure that their nursing practice is based on the latest evidence, the 'AACN Procedure Manual for Critical Care Nursing' is a fabulous resource. Not only are the procedures written by experts in critical care nursing, each procedure documents the references and levels of evidence to support each practice step of the procedure," explains Justine Medina, RN, MS, AACN's director, professional practice and programs.

She continues, "Adoption of the 6th edition of the procedure manual for hospitals will mean no more concerns about whether critical care practice is evidence-based. This is a surefire way to ensure that evidence-based practice is alive and well in high acuity and critical care nursing areas."

The manual can be purchased anytime from the AACN Online Bookstore at www.aacn.org/bookstore.