Aimed at all nurses, this key textbook equips them with the knowledge and skills required to care for the deteriorating patient in the clinical environment. The assessment, recognition and rapid escalation of the deteriorating patient is emphasized throughout the book. Using a unique system-based approach, each chapter contains structured learning outcomes and concludes with a competence-based skills assessment, which can be used to assess practice skills. These skills are recommended as essential for every nurse in an acute area and key to successful practice. Using real life case studies to link knowledge to actual practice and written by senior nurses for nurses, this book is an essential purchase for all nurses who work in acute care settings. Equips nurses in more general wards with the knowledge and skills to care appropriately for the deteriorating patient in the clinical environment. Fiona Creed, RN, BSc, MSc, trained at Guys Hospital London and has 15 years nursing experience in general and neurosurgical critical care settings. Fiona is currently Senior Lecturer at the University of Brighton where she runs the Care of the Acutely Ill Adult module and is Lead Lecturer for the Acute Care Pathway. Fiona is currently undertaking postgraduate research focusing on clinical decision-making in acutely ill patients. Chrissie Spiers, RN, RNT, BSc (Hons), PGDip (Health Promotion), MSc (Cardiology), trained at King's College Hospital in London and has 30 years experience in cardiology and cardiac surgery settings. Chrissie has been a lecturer for more than 15 years and remains passionate about teaching cardiology to a variety of health care professionals. She is Course Leader for the BSc (Hons) Acute Clinical Practice and Lead Lecturer for the Cardiology pathway within this degree. Chrissie maintains regular contact with cardiac wards at NHS Trusts in Surrey and Sussex. She publishes regularly and is a journal reviewer for a number of peer reviewed journals.