Critical Care Nursing Theory 4 NSCC 7520

​In this final theory course of the Critical Care Nursing program, learners prepare to care for individuals with increasingly complex and unstable health conditions. Building on knowledge and clinical reasoning skills developed throughout the program, learners will strengthen their ability to synthesize assessment data, recognize early signs of deterioration, and implement timely, evidence-informed interventions in dynamic critical care settings. The course begins with an exploration of ethical decision-making in critical care nursing. Learners examine the ethical complexities that arise when caring for critically ill patients, including end-of-life care, medical futility, and palliation, while integrating trauma- and violence-informed practice, cultural safety, gender diversity, and harm reduction. Strategies to strengthen moral agency and build moral resilience are also explored. Next, learners deepen their understanding of hemodynamics through the study of pulmonary artery (PA) pressure monitoring. They examine catheter function, nursing responsibilities, and hemodynamic data to reinforce critical thinking that supports advanced clinical decision-making for all aspects of cardiac output management. The course then turns to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), emphasizing its evolving definition and guidelines for assessment and management. Learners explore its pathophysiology, diagnostic considerations, and emerging therapies. In the final module, advanced neurocritical care is addressed through the management of acquired brain injuries, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, and hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Learners apply principles of intracranial dynamics and advanced monitoring—such as ICP, CPP, and cerebral oxygenation parameters—to guide interventions that support cerebral perfusion and prevent secondary injury. Learners conclude the course by focusing their studies toward an area of subspecialty: ICU, CSICU, or PACU. Through case-based learning and structured application of the OSDF, this course continues to strengthen learners' ability to synthesize increasingly complex information, anticipate complications, and provide timely, evidence-informed interventions in the dynamic critical care environment.​

Domestic fees

$399.37 - $1,276.49 See individual course offerings below for actual costs.