Newswise — Progressive care has matured into a distinct practice area on the critical care continuum because of the growing number of patients who require highly skilled nursing care but are not quite critically ill.
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) identified progressive care as a distinct practice area and continues its leadership by developing resources for clinicians who care for the complex needs of high acuity patients.
Whether handling rapid response calls, recent transfers from intensive care units (ICUs) or postsurgical patients with more complicated conditions, nurses in progressive care settings are always in a challenging and ever-changing environment.
“Progressive care is the unifying term for the increased level of care and nursing vigilance needed by patients who are not in the ICU but have complex healthcare needs,” said AACN Senior Director Ramón Lavandero, RN, MA, MSN, FAAN. “As understanding and recognition of progressive care within hospitals and high acuity facilities continues to expand, so does the need for clinical and educational resources specific to progressive care nursing.”
In recent years, AACN published a clinical guide of essentials for progressive care nursing and the core curriculum for this emerging practice, launched the PCCN certification – AACN Certification Corporation’s fastest-growing credential – and established the only conference for the growing number of nurses who work in progressive care settings.
AACN, which remains at the forefront of progressive care, offers nurses the education and resources they need to improve their practice and optimize patient outcomes:
• The AACN Progressive Care Pathways conference is Sept. 17-20, 2013, in Las Vegas. The conference offers up to 24.25 continuing nursing education (CNE) contact hours with learning designed and taught by progressive care experts who understand firsthand the challenges of caring for this patient population. Attendees can view a complete program schedule and register online by Aug. 20 to take advantage of early-bird savings. • A new PCCN exam based on a recent national job analysis for progressive care was launched by AACN Certification Corporation in June 2013. This analysis — which includes a consensus process involving a panel of national experts — ensures the exam is evidence-based and its content is directly tied to relevant practice.
• To support progressive care certification candidates, AACN has introduced a new, interactive PCCN Certification Review Course that fully aligns with the new exam. Based on a live webinar presented by nationally recognized nursing educator Carol Rauen, the comprehensive program helps prospective certificants prepare for success by reaffirming clinical knowledge. The course offers 13.0 CNE hours and provides an in-depth overview of all test-related topic areas plus ample knowledge checks and test-taking tips.
AACN introduced the term progressive care more than a decade ago to describe the care needs of acutely ill patients who are moderately stable with a high risk of instability.
Other common terms for progressive care settings include stepdown, intermediate, telemetry, transitional, high acuity, direct observation or medical-surgical progressive care units. Progressive care nurses may also practice in long-term acute care hospitals where patients — especially those who are ventilator-dependent — may receive care.
About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, Calif., the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN joins together the interests of more than 500,000 acute and critical care nurses and claims more than 235 chapters worldwide. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. www.aacn.org; facebook.com/aacnface; twitter.com/aacnme
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