OVERVIEW
What is a Critical Care Nurse?
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If you鈥檝e ever been seriously ill or visited someone in the hospital who was, you鈥檝e likely encountered a critical care nurse. Often called ICU nurses because of the unit they commonly work in, critical care nurses are highly trained to understand and provide care for people of all ages who are recovering from life-threatening illnesses or injuries.听
Today, there are more than听critical care nurses working in the United States. But despite that number, critical care careers continues to be in high demand thanks to the recent registered nursing shortage.
If听you鈥檙e听thinking about听getting into critical care nursing, you should know听it鈥檚听both a demanding career and a rewarding one. From a patient鈥檚 first assessment to end-of-life care,听you鈥檒l听be a vital part of lifesaving treatments and actions.听You鈥檙e听also caring for people who are at their very worst, physically. For this reason, it takes a special kind of nurse to work in听critical听care units.
RESPONSIBILITIES
What Does A Critical Care Nurse Do?
Critical care nursing involves working with doctors and specialists to assess, treat, and monitor critically ill patients while also providing their basic care.
A typical shift as an ICU nurse can include things like assessing a patient鈥檚 condition and starting treatment, taking vital signs, communicating with patients and their families, setting up IVs, and administering medication. Many times, patients in the ICU are ventilated or have multiple IV drips. For this reason, registered nurses in critical care unites (also known as intensive care units or ICUs) need more knowledge of equipment and charting than other registered nurses.
- Assessing and treating patients. It鈥檚 fairly common that a patient sees a nurse in the ICU before a doctor, so ICU nurses will be expected to assess a patient鈥檚 condition and start treatment. This could include everything from taking vital signs to dressing wounds. They'll also be in charge of monitoring a patient鈥檚 progress and reporting back to the physician.听
- Ordering diagnostic tests. Many of the听critical care patients听you听will see on a day-to-day basis will be suffering from听some kind of injury听or illness, which means听they鈥檒l听need diagnostic testing.听It鈥檚听often up to the critical care nurse to send orders for x-rays, EKGs, or听CT听scans and then go over those results with the doctor to decide on a treatment plan.听
- Acting as a patient advocate. When critical care patients are physically at their worst, the nurse's role is to be there to provide support, education, and empathy. This is done in several different ways鈥攆rom helping patients make informed decisions about their health, to translating complex medical terms, to acting as a liaison between patients and their doctor.听听
- Monitoring medical equipment. Many critical care patients will be set up on cardiac monitors or ventilators, so their nurse will be the one in charge of setting up those machines and regularly monitoring and tracking a patient鈥檚 progress.听
EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES
How to Become a Critical Care Nurse?
Step One: Become a registered nurse.
The first step in becoming a critical care nurse is completing a听bachelor鈥檚 degree听in nursing. Most programs take four years for full-time students to complete. However, students who鈥檝e already completed an associate nursing degree can apply to RN-to-BSN programs that let working nurses earn bachelor鈥檚 degrees in less time.
Step Two: Earn your critical care nursing licensure.听听
After earning your degree, you鈥檒l be required to pass the NCLEX-RN exam and meet your other听state鈥檚 other requirements听to be eligible for nursing licensure. This exam is a computer-generated test that鈥檚 offered by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). The NCLEX-RN is divided up into four categories and six subcategories that cover the foundations of nursing practice and measure nursing competency.
Step Three: Get certified as a critical care nurse.
Nurses who want to establish their knowledge for nursing critically ill or injured patients should obtain the CCRN certification from the AACN. To be eligible for this exam, you鈥檒l need to meet one of the following:
Practice as an RN or APRN (advanced practice registered nurse) for 1,750 hours in direct care of acutely or critically ill patients during the past two years. 875 of these hours must be accrued in the year preceding application.
Practice as an RN or APRN for at least five years with a minimum of 2,000 hours in direct care of acutely or critically ill patients. 144 of these hours must be accrued in the year preceding application.
Step Four: Explore additional certifications and education.
After working as a critical care nurse, you might decide to pursue a听master鈥檚 degree听or post-master's certificate in nursing. Or you may choose to earn specialty certifications depending on what type of patients you enjoy working with most.听
These additional certifications could include:听
CMC: providing care to critically ill cardiac patients
CSC: providing care to critically ill cardiac surgery patients
ACNPC-AG: providing care for very sick geriatric patients
Best Degrees for a听Critical Care Nurse
Health & Nursing
Nursing (Prelicensure) 鈥� B.S.
A one-of-a-kind nursing program that prepares you to be an RN and a...
A one-of-a-kind nursing program that prepares you to be an RN and a baccalaureate-prepared nurse:
- Locations:听Due to in-person clinical requirements, students must be full time residents of听Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin to enroll in this program. The coursework in this program is offered online, but there are in-person requirements.
- Tuition:听$8,755 per 6-month term for the first 4 terms of pre-nursing coursework and $8,755 per 6-month term for the remaining 4 terms of clinical nursing coursework.
- Time:听This program has a set pace and an expected completion time of 4 years. Certain coursework may be accelerated to finish faster.
- 黑料传送门 offers the prelicensure program in areas where we have partnerships with healthcare employers to provide practice sites and clinical coaches to help teach you and inspire you on your path to becoming a nurse.
- If you don't live in one of our prelicensure states or don't qualify to apply, consider getting our听Bachelor's in Health and Human Services听instead. This degree allows you to work inside the healthcare industry, while also working directly with patients who need help.
Skills for your r茅sum茅 that you will learn in this program:
- Community Health
- Women's and Children's Nursing
- Pathology
- Physiology
- Research
Health & Nursing
Nursing 鈥� Leadership & Management (BSN-to-MSN) 鈥� M.S.
For registered nurses with a bachelor's degree who are ready for...
For registered nurses with a bachelor's degree who are ready for additional career opportunities.
- Time:听61% of grads finish within 23 months
- Tuition: $5,035听per 6-month term
- Courses: 15 total courses in this program
This program is ideal for current RNs who have a BSN and are ready for the next step in their education.
Skills for your r茅sum茅 you will learn in this program:
- Quality Outcomes in a Culture of Value-Based Nursing Care
- Nursing Leadership and Management
- Advanced Pathopharmacological Foundations
- Informatics for Transforming Nursing Care
Compare degrees
This program is not the only degree 黑料传送门 offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees.
Health & Nursing
Nursing (RN-to-BSN Online) 鈥� B.S.
An online BSN degree program for registered nurses (RNs) seeking the added...
An online BSN degree program for registered nurses (RNs) seeking the added theoretical depth, employability, and respect that a bachelor's degree brings:
- Time:听The program is designed to be completed in 1 year.
- Tuition:听$5,325 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 23 total courses in this program.
- Transfers: Students can transfer up to 90 credits.
Skills for your r茅sum茅 that you will learn in this program:
- Healthcare Policy and Economics
- Information Technology in Nursing Practice
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Applied Healthcare Statistics
If you don't currently have an RN and don't qualify for your nursing prelicensure program, consider getting our Bachelor's in Health and Human Services听instead. This degree allows you to work inside the healthcare industry in a unique way.
Health & Nursing
Nursing Leadership and Management 鈥� Post-Master's Certificate
A certificate for registered nurses with a master's degree in nursing who...
A certificate for registered nurses with a master's degree in nursing who are ready for greater responsibility in a leadership and management role.
- Time:听Students typically finish this program in听12 months.
- Tuition:听$5,035 per 6-month term. The cost to sit for the NAHQ Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) exam is included in tuition.
- Courses: 8 total courses in this program.
Skills for your r茅sum茅 that you will learn in this program:
- Strategic Planning
- Resource Management
- Business Case Analysis
- Evaluating Healthcare Improvements
Health & Nursing
Nursing 鈥� Leadership & Management (RN-to-MSN) 鈥� M.S.
This program for RNs includes a BSN component and is a substantial leap...
This program for RNs includes a BSN component and is a substantial leap toward becoming a nurse leader.
- Time: 62% of RN-to-MSN grads finish within 37 months.
- Tuition:听$5,325 per 6-month term during undergraduate portion and $5,035 per 6-month term during graduate portion.
- Courses: 32 total courses in this program.
Skills for your r茅sum茅 you will learn in this program:
- Quality Outcomes in a Culture of Value-Based Nursing Care
- Nursing Leadership and Management
- Advanced Pathopharmacological Foundations
- Informatics for Transforming Nursing Care
If you're driven to lead, this online nursing degree will provide you everything needed to make that career a reality. This program is ideal for current RNs who are interested in earning both their BSn and MSN in an accelerated program.
Compare degrees
This program is not the only degree 黑料传送门 offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees.
How Much Does a听Critical Care Nurse Make?
$81,220
Critical care nurses are often paid higher than other nurses because of their specialized training. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the median average salary for RNs was听听in 2022.
What Is the Projected Job Growth?
6%
The BLS also predicts the demand for RNs, which includes critical care nurses, is expected to听from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is fueled by increasing rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity, the aging population, and an increase in emerging diseases like COVID-19.
SKILLS
What Skills Does a Critical Care Nurse Need?
Being a nurse in an intensive care unit is a demanding position鈥攂oth physically and mentally. The physical demands might include working on your feet for long shifts, transporting patients by pushing or pulling wheelchairs, and lifting patients as needed. You鈥檒l also be constantly monitoring highly unstable and at-risk patients, so strong analytical skills and the ability to make quick decisions under pressure is a must.听
To be successful working in critical care you鈥檒l need a mix of clinical and non-clinical skills. Some of these include:
- Understanding medical technology and equipment听
- Strong knowledge of anatomy and physiology听
- The ability to create and implement patient care plans
- Understanding how to use various medical devices, such as catheters and feeding tubes
- In-depth knowledge of medications, including side effects and dosing calculations
- Operating life support systems
- Understanding patient safety and privacy rules and regulations听
- Good communication skills and the ability to work well in a team environment听
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize听
- Comfortably handling end-of-life situations
Our Online University Degree Programs Start on the First of Every Month, All Year Long
No need to wait for spring or fall semester. It's back-to-school time at 黑料传送门 year-round. Get started by talking to an Enrollment Counselor today, and you'll be on your way to realizing your dream of a bachelor's or master's degree鈥攕ooner than you might think!
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