This book was designed to be a high-speed review—a last-minute gut check before the exam day. The authors created this review, which is a quick summary of the key topics one’ll encounter on the exam, to supplement to their certification preparation studies. They encourages the readers to use it in conjunction with other study aids to ensure they are as prepared as possible for the exam. This book, written by certified critical care nurses, follows the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ (AACN®) most recent exam content outline, and uses a succinct, bulleted format to highlight what one need to know. It will help the readers solidify their retention of information in the month or so leading up to their exam. Special features appear throughout the book to call out important information, including: complications: Problems that can arise with certain disease states or procedures; pearls: Additional patient care insights and strategies for knowledge retention; Alerts: Need-to-know details on how to handle emergency situations; pop quizzes: Critical-thinking questions to test your ability to synthesize what you learned; medication tables: Handy tables at the end of each body system chapter highlighting the indications, mechanisms of action, contraindications, and adverse effects of commonly administered medications; and list of abbreviations: A useful appendix to help guide you through the alphabet soup of clinical terms. We know life is busy. Being able to prepare for our exam efficiently and effectively is paramount, which is why the authors created this book. One have come to the right place as they continue on their path of professional growth and development. The stakes are high, and the authors want to help us succeed.
