■英語〜英検1級要約問題を攻略する〜 医療編
■トピック
We live in a world wherein medical care becomes a very important part of the aging process. As we near the end of our life cycle, we find ourselves requiring more and more specialized medical care both at home and in the hospital. As such, nurses have slowly come to realize that additional information and training becomes necessary in order to keep abreast of the times. This is why Registered Nurses have slowly become aware of the need for specialized nursing skills in the ICU.
Intensive Care Unit Nurses are those specially trained nurses who handle critical care patients with life-threatening conditions within the confines of the Intensive Care Unit. These are usually patients who have had major surgery, are recovering from accidents, or experiencing multiple organ failures. These nurses, in other words, handle those patients who are caught on the demarcation line between life and death. Part of their duties and responsibilities, including assessing and monitoring patients in case their medical state should take a serious turn. According to Futures In Nursing (2003) ICU patients “who are admitted to critical care tend to be medically unstable, requiring constant cardiac and respiratory monitoring and continual adjustment of treatments, such as the titration and dosing of multiple intravenous medications and changes in ventilatory support. Critical care nurses must be able to interpret, integrate and respond to a wide array of clinical information. Because of the critical nature of patients’ conditions, nurses working in critical care are often confronted with dealing with end-of-life issues and sometimes other ethical dilemmas related to withholding, withdrawing or medical futile care.”
Certification and registration for ICU Nurares are actually optional. However, most nurses prefer to become certified through a job-related examination. In order to even qualify for the exam, the nurse must have been practicing critical care for at least 2 years. The certification is good for 3 years during which time the ICU nurse is expected to have continued extensive education and clinical experience requirements. These certified nurses are known as CCRN’s or Certified Critical Care Nurses.
Normally, the so called critical care nurses must be certified and licenseds as Registered nurses. After which the specific employer provided continuing education classes then become a necessity in acquiring the position. Due to the complexity of the work related to ICU nursing, ICU nurses now find it necessary to earn masters or doctoral degrees in nursing. Normally an RN would end up enrolling in masters classes specializing in Critical Care for at least 16 months in schools such as the Georgetown School of Nursing. This is after working as a regular nurse for at least 1 year. ACLS certification is required along with 1-2 years of medical or surgical experience.
■サンプル
As people age, they require more specialized medical care, increasing the need for trained ICU nurses. Intensive Care Unit nurses are specially trained to handle critically ill patients with life-threatening conditions, such as post-surgery recovery, accidents, or organ failure. Their duties include constant monitoring and adjusting complex treatments. While certification for ICU nurses is optional, many pursue it after at least two years of critical care experience, becoming Certified Critical Care Nurses (CCRN). Due to the complexity of ICU nursing, many nurses now earn master’s or doctoral degrees in nursing, often requiring additional certifications like ACLS and experience in medical or surgical settings.
■要約のポイント
要約に盛り込むべき内容:
• 高齢化に伴う専門的医療ケアの必要性増加：高齢化により、家庭や病院での専門的な医療ケアが求められていること。
• 看護師の追加訓練の必要性：看護師が時代に対応するために追加の情報と訓練が必要であると認識していること。
• ICU看護師の役割と訓練：ICU看護師は生命を脅かす状態の重症患者を担当し、特別な訓練を受けていること。
• 職務内容：患者の状態を評価・監視し、治療を調整する責任があること。
• 倫理的ジレンマへの対処：終末期の問題や医療的に無益なケアに関連する倫理的なジレンマに直面することが多いこと。
• 認定の追求：ICU看護師の認定は任意だが、多くの看護師がCCRN（集中治療認定看護師）の資格を取得していること。
• 高度な学位の必要性：ICU看護の複雑さから、修士号や博士号を取得する必要性を感じている看護師が増えていること。
• 追加の資格と経験：ACLS（高度心血管治療支援）の認定や、医療・外科での1～2年の経験が求められること。
要約に盛り込むべきではない内容:
• 具体的な引用や出典：例えば、「Futures In Nursing (2003)」からの詳細な引用。
• 認定の細部：認定が3年間有効であることや、試験の具体的な条件などの詳細。
• 特定の教育機関の情報：ジョージタウン看護学校での16か月の修士課程など、特定の学校やプログラムの詳細。
• 具体的な進路ステップ：RNとして1年間勤務した後に修士課程に入学するなどの具体的な手順。