Become A Critical Care Nurse

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Working As A Critical Care Nurse

Assisting and Caring for Others
Documenting/Recording Information
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Getting Information
Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Deal with People
Unpleasant/Angry People
Unpleasant/Hazardous Environment
Stressful
$60,588
Average Salary

What Does A Critical Care Nurse Do

Critical Care Nurses take care of patients who are critically ill. They treat wounds, provide advanced life support, and assist physicians in performing medical procedures.

How To Become A Critical Care Nurse

Registered nurses usually take one of three education paths: a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing (BSN), an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN), or a diploma from an approved nursing program. Registered nurses also must be licensed.

Education

In all nursing education programs, students take courses in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, psychology, and other social and behavioral sciences, as well as in liberal arts. BSN programs typically take 4 years to complete; ADN and diploma programs usually take 2 to 3 years to complete. All programs include supervised clinical experience.

Bachelor’s degree programs usually include additional education in the physical and social sciences, communication, leadership, and critical thinking. These programs also offer more clinical experience in nonhospital settings. A bachelor’s degree or higher is often necessary for administrative positions, research, consulting, and teaching.

Generally, licensed graduates of any of the three types of education programs (bachelor’s, associate’s, or diploma) qualify for entry-level positions as a staff nurse. However, employers—particularly those in hospitals—may require a bachelor’s degree.

Many registered nurses with an ADN or diploma choose to go back to school to earn a bachelor’s degree through an RN-to-BSN program. There are also master’s degree programs in nursing, combined bachelor’s and master’s programs, and accelerated programs for those who wish to enter the nursing profession and already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field. Some employers offer tuition reimbursement.

Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) must earn a master’s degree in nursing and typically already have 1 or more years of work experience as an RN or in a related field. CNSs who conduct research typically need a doctoral degree.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

In all states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories, registered nurses must have a nursing license. To become licensed, nurses must graduate from an approved nursing program and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN).

Other requirements for licensing vary by state. Each state’s board of nursing can give details. For more information on the NCLEX-RN and a list of state boards of nursing, visit the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

Nurses may become certified through professional associations in specific areas, such as ambulatory care, gerontology, and pediatrics, among others. Although certification is usually voluntary, it demonstrates adherence to a higher standard, and some employers require it.

CNSs must satisfy additional state licensing requirements, such as earning specialty certifications. Contact state boards of nursing for specific requirements.

Important Qualities

Critical-thinking skills. Registered nurses must be able to assess changes in the health status of patients, including determining when to take corrective action and when to make referrals.

Communication skills. Registered nurses must be able to communicate effectively with patients in order to understand their concerns and assess their health conditions. Nurses need to explain instructions, such as how to take medication, clearly. They must be able to work in teams with other health professionals and communicate the patients’ needs.

Compassion. Registered nurses should be caring and empathetic when caring for patients.

Detail oriented. Registered nurses must be responsible and detail oriented because they must make sure that patients get the correct treatments and medicines at the right time.

Emotional stability. Registered nurses need emotional resilience and the ability to manage their emotions to cope with human suffering, emergencies, and other stresses.

Organizational skills. Nurses often work with multiple patients with various health needs. Organizational skills are critical to ensure that each patient is given appropriate care.

Physical stamina. Nurses should be comfortable performing physical tasks, such as moving patients. They may be on their feet for most of their shift.

Advancement

Most registered nurses begin as staff nurses in hospitals or community health settings. With experience, good performance, and continuous education, they can move to other settings or be promoted to positions with more responsibility.

In management, nurses can advance from assistant clinical nurse manager, charge nurse, or head nurse to more senior-level administrative roles, such as assistant director or director of nursing, vice president of nursing, or chief nursing officer. Increasingly, management-level nursing positions are requiring a graduate degree in nursing or health services administration. Administrative positions require leadership, communication skills, negotiation skills, and good judgment.

Some nurses move into the business side of healthcare. Their nursing expertise and experience on a healthcare team equip them to manage ambulatory, acute, home-based, and chronic care businesses. Employers—including hospitals, insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and managed care organizations, among others—need registered nurses for jobs in health planning and development, marketing, consulting, policy development, and quality assurance.

Some RNs choose to become nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, or nurse practitioners, which, along with clinical nurse specialists, are types of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). APRNs may provide primary and specialty care, and in many states they may prescribe medications.

Other nurses work as postsecondary teachers in colleges and universities.

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Critical Care Nurse jobs

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Critical Care Nurse Career Paths

Critical Care Nurse

Staff Nurse Registered Nurse Supervisor

Assistant Director Of Nursing

7 Yearsyrs

Nurse Home Health Nurse Staff Nurse

Assistant Nurse Manager

7 Yearsyrs

Emergency Room Nurse Nurse Nurse Educator

Clinical Nurse Educator

12 Yearsyrs

Staff Nurse

House Supervisor

6 Yearsyrs

Nursing Director Senior Technician Specialist Licensed Practical Nurse

Licensed Practical Nurse/Supervisor

5 Yearsyrs

Nurse Staff Nurse

Nurse Case Manager

9 Yearsyrs

Registered Nurse Supervisor Unit Manager Nurse

Nurse Educator

10 Yearsyrs

Registered Nurse Registered Nurse Supervisor

Registered Nurse Case Manager

8 Yearsyrs

Registered Nurse Supervisor Registered Nurse Case Manager

Registered Nurse Nurse Manager

7 Yearsyrs

Registered Nurse Staff Nurse

Registered Nurse Supervisor

7 Yearsyrs

Case Manager Clinical Coordinator Registered Nurse Supervisor

Registered Nurse Unit Manager

7 Yearsyrs

Average Length of Employment

Staff Nurse 5.9 years
Registered Professional Nurse 5.2 years
Critical Care Nurse 5.0 years
Relief Charge Nurse 4.6 years
Nurse Clinician 4.3 years
Registered Nurse In The ICU 3.6 years
Trauma Nurse 3.5 years
Coronary Care Unit Nurse 3.5 years
Intensive Care Unit Nurse 3.4 years
ICU Staff Nurse Staff 3.4 years
Surgical Nurse 3.3 years
Anesthesiologist And Critical Care 2.9 years
Special Duty Nurse 2.8 years
Progressive Care Nurse 2.7 years
Cardiac Care Unit Nurse 2.7 years
Traveling Nurse 2.1 years

Top Careers Before Critical Care Nurse

Top Careers After Critical Care Nurse

Critical Care Nurse Demographics

Gender

Female
74.4%
Male
24.0%
Unknown
1.6%

Ethnicity

White
81.5%
Hispanic or Latino
9.1%
Asian
6.8%
Unknown
1.8%
Black or African American
0.8%

Languages Spoken

Spanish
52.7%
French
13.0%
Russian
3.8%
Vietnamese
3.1%
German
3.1%
Swedish
2.3%
Hindi
2.3%
Filipino
2.3%
Tagalog
2.3%
Portuguese
2.3%
Chinese
2.3%
Mandarin
1.5%
Ukrainian
1.5%
Cantonese
1.5%
Italian
1.5%
Polish
1.5%
Swahili
0.8%
Romanian
0.8%
Gujarati
0.8%
Sanskrit
0.8%

Critical Care Nurse

Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.

Critical Care Nurse Education

Schools

University of Phoenix
17.4%
Walden University
12.0%
Chamberlain College of Nursing
6.9%
University of South Alabama
6.2%
Grand Canyon University
6.2%
University of Maryland - Baltimore
5.3%
University of Texas at Arlington
4.5%
Western Governors University
4.3%
Drexel University
3.8%
Excelsior College
3.6%
Indiana Wesleyan University
3.6%
University of Alabama at Birmingham
3.3%
South University
3.3%
Virginia Commonwealth University
3.1%
Georgetown University
2.9%
University of South Florida
2.8%
East Tennessee State University
2.8%
University of Pennsylvania
2.8%
Duke University
2.8%
Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
2.6%

Majors

Nursing 73.2%
Business 4.0%
Family Practice Nursing 3.6%
Medical Technician 3.2%
Nursing Science 2.1%
Health Care Administration 2.1%
Medicine 1.7%
Education 1.2%
Public Health 1.1%
Pharmacy 1.0%
Management 1.0%
Biology 1.0%
Psychology 0.8%
Clinical Psychology 0.8%
Health Sciences And Services 0.7%
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs 0.7%
Elementary Education 0.6%
Physician Assistant 0.5%
Medical Assisting Services 0.5%
Law 0.4%

Degrees

Masters
32.9%
Bachelors
30.7%
Associate
14.0%
Other
13.0%
Doctorate
4.8%
Certificate
3.0%
Diploma
1.2%
License
0.4%

Critical Care Nurse

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Real Critical Care Nurse Salaries

Job Title	Company	Location	Start Date	Salary
Nighttime Hospitalist Critical Care Intensivist	Northeast Medical Group, Inc.	New Haven, CT	Jan 07, 2016	$275,000
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Physician	Wesley Medical Center, LLC	Wichita, KS	Jul 01, 2013	$275,000
Pulmonologist-Critical Care	Franciscan Alliance Inc.	Hammond, IN	Jul 01, 2015	$275,000
Pediatric Critical Care Intensivist	Banner Medical Group	Glendale, AZ	Sep 15, 2015	$275,000
Pediatric Critical Care Intensivist	Banner Medical Group	Glendale, AZ	Oct 15, 2016	$275,000
Hospitalist/Critical Care-Infectious Disease P	Mercy Clinic East Communities	Festus, MO	Jul 01, 2014	$270,000
Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Physici	Bristol Hospital Multi-Specialty Group, Inc.	Bristol, CT	Jul 01, 2013	$265,000
Critical Care Intensivist	Northeast Medical Group, Inc.	New Haven, CT	Sep 01, 2015	$255,846
Nighttime Critical Care Intensivist	Northeast Medical Group, Inc.	New Haven, CT	Jan 19, 2016	$255,846
Critical Care Interventionist	Mercy Clinic Springfield Communities	Springfield, MO	Jul 01, 2015	$250,000
Physican-Critical Care/Intensivist	Peninsula Regional Medical Center	Salisbury, MD	Jul 01, 2014	$250,000 - $330,000
Pediatric Critical Care Intensivist	Wesley Medical Center	Wichita, KS	Jul 01, 2015	$247,500
Pulmonary & Critical Care Physcian	Kadlec Regional Medical Center	Richland, WA	Jul 29, 2016	$241,503
Registered Nurse, Critical Care Nurse	Florida Hospital	Orlando, FL	Sep 20, 2014	$67,097
Fellow In Pulmonary/Postdoctoral Critical Care FEL	Norwalk Hospital Association	Norwalk, CT	Jun 20, 2013	$66,900
Fellow, Critical Care	Nicklaus Children's Hospital	Miami, FL	Jan 07, 2016	$66,659
Registered Nurse, Critical Care Nurse	Florida Hospital	Winter Park, FL	Nov 06, 2013	$66,241
Critical Care Nurse BSN	Florida Hospital	Altamonte Springs, FL	May 01, 2013	$66,200
Critical Care Nurse	Florida Hospital	Altamonte Springs, FL	May 01, 2013	$66,200
Registered Nurse, Critical Care Nurse	Florida Hospital	Altamonte Springs, FL	May 01, 2013	$66,200
Critical Care Fellow Pulmonary & Critical Care	Thomas Jefferson University Hospital	Philadelphia, PA	Jan 07, 2016	$66,072
Critical Care Nurse	Newtown Health System, Inc.	Covington, GA	Feb 01, 2013	$59,696
Critical Care Nurse	Newton Health System	Covington, GA	Feb 01, 2013	$59,696
Registered Nurse, Critical Care Nurse	Florida Hospital	Orlando, FL	Jul 08, 2014	$59,480
Telemetry/Critical Care Registered Nurse	Cambridge Healthcare LLC	Hialeah, FL	Oct 01, 2013	$59,438
Critical Care Registered Nurse	Cambridge Healthcare LLC	Hialeah, FL	Oct 01, 2013	$59,438
Registered Nurse, Critical Care Nurse	Florida Hospital	Orlando, FL	Nov 13, 2013	$59,417
Registered Nurse, Critical Care Nurse	Florida Hospital	Orlando, FL	Jul 14, 2014	$58,958
Registered Nurse, Critical Care Nurse	Florida Hospital	Orlando, FL	Dec 13, 2014	$58,874

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Top Skills for A Critical Care Nurse

Top Critical Care Nurse Skills

Critical Care Unit
Emergency Room
Trauma Patients

You can check out examples of real life uses of top skills on resumes here:

Worked as a Staff Nurse, and occasionally as a Charge Nurse, in a Critical Care Unit.
Worked as bedside nurse in all adult Intensive Care Units and Emergency Room.
Provided direct care to medical/surgical/trauma patients.
Assessed patients in active withdrawal and provided interventions to manage physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms.
Charge nurse duties were directing patient care, administering medication and educating patients and families regarding their illness.