Critical care: assessing blood pressure, circulation and intravascular volume

All nurses should possess core critical assessment skills in order to appropriately assess critically ill patients. It is anticipated that the possession of these core skills will enable nurses to appropriately assess and identify those patients who are at risk of deterioration. By comprehensively assessing individual patients and identifying problems early, nurses can initiate specific interventions that may stabilize and improve patient outcomes and help prevent unnecessary intensive care unit admission.