This chapter will provide an overall orientation to the acute care setting. It is important for rehab practitioners to have a basic understanding of a hospital’s role in the healthcare system and the various facets of an acute care environment. This chapter will guide rehab practitioners in hospital policies/procedures, equipment, discharge planning, and the unique services that are delivered in acute care.

This chapter will introduce the various members of the acute care team and their roles in the hospital environment. Rehab practitioners will learn various strategies that will enhance interprofessional communication and help them achieve better patient outcomes.

This chapter will outline the workflow of a rehab practitioner working in acute care. There are many components to planning for and executing a successful patient encounter in the hospital. This chapter will guide rehab practitioners to a better understanding of rehab orders, triage systems, frequency determination, documentation, and billing in the acute care environment.

It is important for rehab practitioners working in acute care to understand the importance of environmental safety and its application to rehab in this complex environment. This chapter will guide rehab practitioners in the primary functions involved with the management of the environment of care in hospitals.

It is important for rehab practitioners to possess an overall awareness of the factors that can affect patient safety in the acute care environment. This chapter will cover national patient safety goals, patient safety precautions, and restraints.

It is important for a rehab practitioner to safely manage various elements of the acute care environment during a rehab session. This chapter will guide rehab practitioners in how to set up the hospital environment for patient safety. Safe patient handling and mobility programs and an overview of safety events will also be covered.

This chapter will give an overview of lines, leads, tubes, and drains in the acute care setting. It is important to understand the different types of lines and their purposes to safely mobilize patients in the hospital. Clinical considerations, barriers to mobility, and strategies to overcome barriers will also be discussed.

This chapter will cover common lines and leads that are encountered in the acute care setting, both in the intensive care unit and throughout the hospital. It is important to understand the purpose of various lines and leads, how to get an accurate reading when monitoring the hemodynamic status of a patient, and the safety considerations associated with various lines and leads when mobilizing patients.

This chapter will cover common tubes and drains that are encountered in the acute care setting, both in the intensive care unit and throughout the hospital. It is important to understand the purpose of various tubes and drains as well as the safety considerations associated with tubes and drains when mobilizing patients.

This chapter will familiarize the audience with common mechanical circulatory devices that are encountered in a hospital intensive care unit. Patients requiring support from a mechanical circulatory device have complex medical needs. It is critical to understand the clinical and safety considerations when treating these patients and recognize that special training beyond this course is required prior to mobilizing this patient population.

This chapter will introduce a systematic approach that is important to safely manage patients with various lines, leads, tubes, and drains in the hospital setting. A video showcasing various lines will help the audience apply the content from this course, and clinical considerations will be summarized through a series of patient cases.

This chapter will provide an overall understanding of vital signs in the acute care setting. It is important for a rehab practitioner in the hospital to have an awareness of the normative values for heart rate/pulse rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation. This chapter will guide rehab practitioners in accurate assessment, early warning systems, factors that affect vital signs, and safe parameters for exercise.

This chapter will examine normal and abnormal values for heart rate, pulse rate, and blood pressure, including the clinical significance of these abnormalities. Response to exercise and clinical considerations will also be covered in this chapter. It is important for practitioners to identify abnormal heart rate, pulse rate, and blood pressure responses and their clinical implications to optimize patient safety and outcomes.

This chapter will examine normal and abnormal values for respiratory rate and oxygen saturation, including the clinical significance of these abnormalities. Response to exercise and clinical considerations will also be covered in this chapter. It is important for practitioners to identify abnormal respiratory rate and oxygen saturation responses and their clinical implications to optimize patient safety and outcomes.

This chapter will examine special populations and additional considerations for vital sign interpretation. Vital signs may be altered in older adults and patients with known disease. In addition, patients with critical illness usually have multiple medical problems requiring special considerations. Acute care rehab practitioners should be equipped to interpret vital signs and make complex clinical decisions for all patients, including those with special considerations, to optimize patient safety and outcomes.

This chapter will provide an overall understanding of the role of lab values in the acute care setting. It is important for a clinician in the hospital to have an awareness of the factors that affect lab values, including demographic considerations, when making clinical decisions.

This chapter will examine the lab values that are included in a complete blood count and electrolyte panel. It is important for clinicians to identify reference ranges as well as clinical implications when patients are outside these reference ranges.

This chapter will cover lab values that assess kidney, liver, and endocrine function. It is important for clinicians to identify reference ranges as well as clinical implications when patients are outside these reference ranges.

This chapter will familiarize the audience with arterial blood gas interpretation. A systematic approach to arterial blood gas analysis, including case examples, will be introduced to help clinicians identify specific acid-base disorders. It is important for a clinician to understand the significance of a patient’s acid-base status when making clinical decisions.

This chapter will explore lab values that test cholesterol levels, cardiac function, and coagulation. It is important for clinicians to identify reference ranges as well as clinical implications when patients are outside these reference ranges. Guidelines for mobilizing patients with venous thromboembolism will also be discussed.

It is important for rehab practitioners to understand the basic principles of pharmacology, such as pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. This chapter will cover the basic principles of pharmacology as well as factors that affect drug response, polypharmacy, and the role of the rehab practitioner in pharmacology.

This chapter will review common medication classes encountered in the acute care environment that affect the central nervous and musculoskeletal systems. It is important for rehab practitioners to recognize the primary adverse drug reactions of these medications as well as evaluate the effects that these medications may have on a patient’s overall performance during a rehab session.

This chapter will review common medication classes encountered in the acute care environment that affect the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. It is important for rehab practitioners to recognize the primary adverse drug reactions of these medications as well as evaluate the effects that these medications may have on a patient’s overall performance during a rehab session.

This chapter will review other miscellaneous medications that are commonly encountered in the acute care environment. It is important for rehab practitioners to recognize the primary adverse drug reactions of these medications as well as evaluate the effects that these medications may have on a patient’s overall performance during a rehab session.

This chapter will provide an overall understanding of oxygen and oxygen delivery, including the various oxygen devices that are encountered in patient care. To safely conduct rehab sessions for patients on supplemental oxygen, it is important to know the clinical decision-making process as well as the benefits and limitations of each oxygen delivery device.

This chapter will cover components of assessment and treatment for a patient requiring supplemental oxygen. It is important for a rehab clinician to understand the preparation required for a session, the titration/weaning process, and signs of activity intolerance.

This chapter will explore various patient scenarios to facilitate clinical decision-making skills on appropriate oxygen delivery device selection. It is important for the rehab clinician to be able to apply the concepts discussed in this course to select appropriate oxygen delivery devices when mobilizing patients.

This chapter will provide an overall understanding of mechanical ventilation, including indications, goals, and complications. To safely manage patients requiring mechanical ventilation, it is important to understand the difference between invasive and noninvasive ventilation as well as the different modes, settings, and types of breaths that can be delivered by mechanical ventilation.

This chapter will provide an overall understanding of artificial airways with a focus on tracheostomy. It is important for a rehab clinician to understand the different types, indications, and complications of artificial airways to safely manage patients during a rehab session.

It is important for a rehab clinician to safely manage a patient who requires mechanical ventilation and/or tracheostomy. This chapter will discuss the negative effects of bed rest and the benefits of exercise and will introduce the audience to an evidence-based approach to optimize recovery and outcomes for these patients. Included will be a specific focus on mobility safety considerations using a traffic light approach in patients requiring mechanical ventilation.