Delays in recognising deterioration, or inappropriate management of people in acute care settings can result in late treatment, avoidable admissions to intensive care units and, in some instances, unnecessary deaths. As the role of the nurse in healthcare settings continues to change and evolve, today's nursing and other healthcare students need to be equipped with the fundamental skills to recognise and manage deterioration in the patient in a competent and confident manner, appreciating the complexities of caring for those who are acutely unwell as you learn to become practitioners of the future.