Written by practicing nurses in acute care, this text provides students with a basic understanding of complex patients and the ability to provide nursing care across a variety of settings by using a series of reality-based, self-paced, self-contained modules that focus on multiple system problems frequently encountered in working with high acuity patients. Using a “nuts and bolts” approach, it addresses essentials by using examples, analogies, and metaphors; focuses on concepts and principles that can be applied across practice settings and patient populations; and includes nursing diagnoses. The modules progress from simple to complex and contain pretests and posttests with answers, learning objectives, glossary, abbreviations, and review questions and answers.