The long-awaited 7th edition of the AACN Core Curriculum for High Acuity, Progressive, and Critical Care Nursing has finally arrived. The goal of this update was to acknowledge the continuum of care for patients that were traditionally confined within the walls of an intensive care unit. The purpose of the Core Curriculum has always been to establish the knowledge base required for nurses to care for acutely ill patients. This edition shines a spotlight on that patients may be admitted to different levels of care within a facility, but still require the knowledge and vigilance of highly trained nurses. It will not be hard to recognize patients encountered in daily practice described within these pages, no matter the work setting.The content of this new edition is divided into 11 chapters based on the current test plan developed for the CCRN certification, starting with a chapter on Professional Caring and Ethical Practice and moving through body systems (eg, Pulmonary, Cardiovascular). Each body system chapter includes anatomy and physiology, as well as specific patient health problems. The Multisystem chapter covers topics such as Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and Septic Shock, Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome, Multisystem Trauma, Burns, and Hypothermia. One chapter focuses on the psychosocial aspects of high acuity and critical care, including delirium, substance misuse, dependence and withdrawal, and suicide. Finally, the last chapter addresses critical care patients with special needs, such as bariatric patients, older adults, high-risk obstetrics, and patient transport. Additional sections of this chapter focus on pain, sedation, and palliative and end-of-life care.Clearly, all that is known about a particular topic in nursing and patient care cannot be included in one book. The Core Curriculum attempts to give a high-level overview in an outline format, with tables and figures to support the content. Clinical Pearls are highlighted throughout the book to identify important implications for bedside practice. Also, Key Concepts provide a short overarching description of the purpose of the content in addressing specific patient health problems.Each chapter has a bibliography conveniently divided into the same subsections as the patient health problems for ease of evaluating and accessing the literature. Although knowledge regarding the science of health, illness, patient care, and nursing practice continues to grow exponentially, every attempt was made to be consistent with the most current standards, guidelines, and care recommendations available at the time of publication. Current initiatives by the Critical Care Societies Collaborative such as bundled care elements, the AACN Healthy Work Environment Standards, and the AACN Synergy Model for Patient Care are addressed as well.The Core Curriculum has historically been considered by many as foundational to their practice, used for personal study and reference as well as for teaching new generations of acute and critical care nurses. This book has also been used, and will continue to be used, as a framework for study in preparation to sit for certification examinations. Many of us have purchased each new edition as a “collector’s item” to document the history and advancing knowledge required to provide safe, high-quality patient care. It is the standard by which our practice has been and will continue to be measured.