Level 2 (highly dependent) patients are nursed in a variety of clinical areas. High Dependency Nursing Care has been written for pre qualified and post qualified students undertaking modules and placements to prepare them for nursing the acutely ill and nurses caring for these patients. Written by a team of nurses experienced in providing, supporting and developing high dependency care, it discusses practical issues and explores the current evidence base for clinical practice. This essential textbook covers the context of care with chapters on fundamental aspects, such as sleep, nutrition, pain management and stress. It goes on to look at the main causes of critical illness and the treatments often given, as well as the skills necessary for monitoring patients. Completely updated throughout, this second edition also includes new chapters on infection control, heart failure, tissue removal and transferring the sicker patient. is: Comprehensive: it covers all the key areas of knowledge needed User-friendly: it includes learning outcomes, introductions, time out exercises, implications for practice, useful websites and up-to-date references Clearly written: by a team of experienced nurses Practically based: clinical scenarios provide stimulating discussion and revision topics