THE MANY ASPECTS OF SHOCK

Course overview

Shock is an acute, widespread process of impaired tissue perfusion that results in cellular, metabolic, and hemodynamic alterations. Knowledge of the different states of shock is important for nurses, as they play a key role in promoting early detection and treatment of shock that can impact patient outcomes. Awareness of updates in evidence-based practice pertaining to shock management is important in the prevention of clinical states such as infection that can lead to conditions like sepsis and septic shock. In this activity, we will cover an overview of the general shock response or shock syndrome, followed by a review of the various types of shock states. After completing this activity, participants should be able to: relate the different types of shock to clinical patient presentations; compare the physiological responses of compensated and uncompensated shock; describe patient assessment and nursing interventions for each category of shock; and identify the nursing priorities included in the plan of care for a patient in shock.