Nursing Care of the Critically Ill Child

I am a 1-year experienced RN who is not only new to pediatrics, but also new to critial care, coming from adult med/surg. A friend of mine in the PICU lent me her Hazinski manual (the smaller edition) my first week in the PICU, calling it the "Bible". I have to say that I have dog-eared her book, referring to it practically every day when I get home. She has finally asked for it back, and so I now must get my own copy! It has been a Godsend to me. We have several copies of the larger edition on our unit, which is very comprehensive, so I have decided to purchase that one instead. Additionally, many other nurses on our unit owns one (it's contagious!). Just about everything you could want to know is in the book, and it doesn't speak to you as though you already know peds. critical care; it is truly an educational book in the best sense of the word. The inner covers have quick charts to refer to vital information, heart rates, respiratory rates, BSA Nomogram, fluid maintenance, resuscition equipment, etc. Our Education Department refers to them in orientation classes. The only thing I would love to see is a chapter on the very absolute basics, such as I & O's (which is included, but as part of chapters on dehydration, renal, cardiovascular, etc.), assessment of the critically ill child, skills, the key things to look for and report to the physician, etc. Just one small chapter like this for the very beginner. It would have been very helpful to someone like me in my first few weeks, and I believe a solid foundation is the best ground upon which to learn. I hope anyone buying this book enjoys it as much as my colleagues and I do.