About
Why ICUNERD exists
Most critical care review material tells you what to do. Bedside nurses need the why — the receptor, the channel, the curve — because that's what lets you reason through the patient who doesn't match the flashcard.
Who builds it
ICUNERD is written and maintained by a practicing ICU nurse with a molecular biology background and an active CCRN. It is a personal, independent project — free to use, with no institutional sponsorship, no advertising, and no affiliation with AACN.
Evidence policy
- Cite the primary source. Guidelines (SCCM, ESICM, AHA/ACC, ATS), landmark trials, and peer-reviewed physiology reviews are cited in-line by number and listed with links at the end of each module.
- Prefer the newest guidance, show the date. Each module carries an "updated" date. When a 2023–2026 paper changes practice (driving pressure, mechanical power, VExUS, the OMI paradigm, catecholamine-sparing strategies), the module says so explicitly and cites it.
- Distinguish physiology from practice. Molecular mechanisms are stable; thresholds and doses change. Numbers are attributed to the document they come from and should always be checked against your institution's protocols.
- Free resources only where possible. The resources page links to open-access material. Images and videos from the University of Minnesota Atlas of Human Cardiac Anatomy are used under its educational-use terms with attribution.
Corrections
Found an error, a stale threshold, or a better source? Email hello@icunerd.com with the module and section name. Corrections are logged on the module's "updated" line.
Privacy
No accounts, no cookies for tracking, no analytics that identify you. Your reading progress and quiz scores are stored in your own browser's local storage and never leave your device. You can export or erase them on the progress page.
Disclaimer
This site is for education. It is not medical advice and does not replace institutional policy, provider orders, pharmacy references, or your own clinical judgment. Drug doses, titration ranges, and physiologic targets quoted here come from the cited sources and may not match your unit's protocols.