The Essential ICU Nursing Guide: Now What?
$99
30-day returns · Free U.S. shipping
The ICU Reference Built for the Moment the Pressure Drops
You know the pathophysiology. That’s not the problem. The problem is the moment the pressure drops, something is beeping, and the only thought in your head is: what do I do first? This book is built for that moment. It’s organized by what you’re seeing at the bedside, not by textbook chapter.
• 281 full-color pages across 10 sections
• 18 red-flag presentations: what to do first, what to monitor, what not to miss, and when to escalate
• 29 side-by-side comparisons of look-alike conditions (38 pages)
• Crash Mode: the first 5 minutes of 25 ICU emergencies, step by step
• 31 ICU devices explained: vents, ECMO, IABP, Impella, CRRT, EVDs, chest tubes
• Coil-bound with a soft front cover and a hard back cover, so it lays flat and holds up
From Smart Edition Nursing, a Company Founded and Run by a Nurse
Smart Edition Nursing was founded and is run by Nurse Melissa, a nurse practitioner. For years, we’ve built study tools for nurses at the hardest points in their careers, from entrance exams through nursing school to their first NP job.
The Essential ICU Nursing Guide was developed by our editorial team for the next hard step: walking onto the unit.
School teaches you to know things. The ICU asks you to act on them, in the right order, while the monitor is alarming and everyone in the room is looking at you.
That gap between knowing and doing is where new ICU nurses get stuck. It’s not because they didn’t study. It’s because every resource they own is organized by diagnosis, and at the bedside you don’t start with a diagnosis. You start with what you’re seeing. The pressure is dropping. The sats won’t come up. The patient who was talking an hour ago isn’t making sense.
So that’s how this book is built. It starts where you start: with what’s in front of you. Every page tells you what to do first, what to watch, what not to miss, and when to call. It’s clear about what’s yours as the nurse and what orders to expect from the provider. It will never tell you to prescribe, dose, or titrate on your own.
It also covers goals of care and end of life, because nobody prepares you for that part either.
Learn more about Nurse Melissa and Smart Edition Nursing.
Why It Works on the Unit
$99
30-day returns · Free U.S. shipping
What's Inside: 281 Pages, 10 Sections
- The ICU Mindset. Taking report, ABCDE prioritization, head-to-toe assessment, SBAR escalation. Start here on day one of orientation.
- Red Flags by Presentation. 18 presentations, from hypotension to GI bleed.
- Monitors. Perfusion, oxygenation, ventilation, ABGs, fluid status, neuro, renal, electrolytes, sedation, and more.
- Pattern Recognition. ABGs, ECGs, labs and hemodynamics read together as one picture.
- Drips by Purpose. Infusions grouped by what they’re for, plus how to recognize extravasation.
- Tools by Purpose. 31 devices, each with what it does, what to monitor, red flags, and the common mistake.
- Crash Mode. The first five minutes of 25 emergencies.
- The Differentials. 38 pages of “is it this or that?”
- Goals of Care & End of Life. Comfort care, brain death, organ donation, and taking care of yourself.
- Quick Reference. Normal values, formulas, lab draw order, abbreviations, and high-alert drugs.
This guide is for you if you're...
• A new grad starting ICU orientation and dreading your first shift on your own
• A nurse transferring in from med-surg, step-down, PCU, telemetry, or the ED
• In a critical care nurse residency, or a nursing student in a critical care rotation
• A preceptor or educator who wants your orientee to have the answers between check-ins
• An experienced ICU nurse brushing up on devices you rarely see, or working toward CCRN (a bedside companion, not exam prep)
FAQ
Got a question you don’t see answered below? Send us an email or a chat and we’ll answer it for you.
$99
30-day returns · Free U.S. shipping
We've published nursing and healthcare education materials since 2018, and our titles are sold under the Smart Edition name on Amazon and TikTok Shop. Every copy ordered here ships from our own inventory.
Every page tells you what to do first, what to monitor, and when to escalate. It also includes 29 side-by-side comparisons of conditions that look alike but need different treatment, and it clearly separates nursing actions from provider orders.
Section 1 is built for day one of orientation, and every page explains the reasoning behind each step, not just the step.
Doses and titrations always follow the provider's order and your hospital's protocol. The book helps you recognize what's happening, anticipate what's coming, and know when to call.
It isn't a NICU or PICU reference.
It measures 11" × 8.5", with a soft front cover and a hard back cover. There is no PDF or digital version.
Orders ship within 1 business day with free shipping anywhere in the U.S., and typically arrive within 3–5 days after that. You'll get tracking by email as soon as it's on its way.