Traditional Doctor / Nurse boundaries are being eroded with nurses expanding their sphere of practice to encompass assessment skills and enable them to manage total episodes of patient care with true autonomy (DOH 2000). More recently we have seen the emergence of Nurse Practitioners undertaking this advanced level of health assessment in the acute medical arena. This book will support the decision-making process and treatment that can be offered by these individuals. Acute Medicine - A Handbook for Nurse Practitionersis an up-to-date, practical and comprehensive guide, offering invaluable information and advice on the management of acute medical conditions. Key features include:

• Assessment, investigation, diagnosis and management of the most acute medical conditions
• A guide through the management of the patient and identification of priorities for treatment
• Legal, professional and ethical issues faced by nurses working at an advanced level
• Role development
• The development of protocols and prescribing
• Examples of Clinical Management Plans for the supplementary prescriber and Patient Group Directions to support practice

Written by an experienced Consultant Nurse in Acute Medicine, this engaging book will serve as a text from which the busy and highly skilled nurse can refer to for information on assessment, diagnosis and management of acute medical conditions.