Critical care nurse vs emergency room nurse

The differences between critical care nurses and emergency room nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an emergency room nurse has an average salary of $79,886, which is higher than the $76,788 average annual salary of a critical care nurse.

The top three skills for a critical care nurse include patients, BLS and acls. The most important skills for an emergency room nurse are patients, BLS, and acls.

Critical care nurse vs emergency room nurse overview

	Critical Care Nurse	Emergency Room Nurse
Yearly salary	$76,788	$79,886
Hourly rate	$36.92	$38.41
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	594,859	610,768
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	2

What does a critical care nurse do?

A critical care nurse is responsible for providing quality care for patients confined in the intensive care unit of a health care facility. Critical care nurses maintain an organized medical chart to report the patient's condition to an attending physician and other medical professionals. They also administer medication, regularly check the patient's vital signs, and assist the doctors in conducting medical procedures and laboratory examinations. A critical care nurse also suggests care plans for the patients, especially during discharge, to ensure total recovery.

What does an emergency room nurse do?

As the name entails, emergency room nurses typically work in emergency rooms of hospitals to provide care for patients in need of immediate treatment for severe medical conditions such as injury or trauma. They work with a team of healthcare professionals such as physicians and other nurses to administer medications to patients, monitor health conditions, and plan for long-term care needs. Other duties of emergency room nurses include assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of patients, maintaining a sanitary, organized, and clean work environment, and providing patients with follow-up care instructions.

Critical care nurse vs emergency room nurse salary

Critical care nurses and emergency room nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Critical Care Nurse	Emergency Room Nurse
Average salary	$76,788	$79,886
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $130,000	Between $50,000 And $126,000
Highest paying City	Palo Alto, CA	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	California	Hawaii
Best paying company	Dignity Health	Baptist Health Care
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between critical care nurse and emergency room nurse education

There are a few differences between a critical care nurse and an emergency room nurse in terms of educational background:

	Critical Care Nurse	Emergency Room Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Critical care nurse vs emergency room nurse demographics

Here are the differences between critical care nurses' and emergency room nurses' demographics:

	Critical Care Nurse	Emergency Room Nurse
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 18.9% Female, 81.1%	Male, 19.8% Female, 80.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between critical care nurse and emergency room nurse duties and responsibilities

Critical care nurse example responsibilities.

Interpret laboratory results, EKG readings, cardiac monitors, managing medication drips, and ventilator settings.
Monitor chemotherapy and administration of oral chemo medication, obtain laboratory specimens to manage client status via central lines.
Work on the general units of rehabilitation, geriatrics, and telemetry.
Work in critical care floors ranging from MICU to SICU to regular ICU.
Perform emergency medical procedures such as BLS, ACLS, and other condition stabilizing interventions.
Care for patients with a wide variety of critical illnesses and are CCRN certify for many years.

Emergency room nurse example responsibilities.

Manage Gyn complaints, in- cluding colposcopy, infertility and minor surgical procedures.
Manage assessments, nursing diagnosis, precept newly employees, rotation from ICU to ER.
Assess patients in active withdrawal and provide interventions to manage physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms.
Care for GYN patients immediately after surgery and until discharge.
Perform CPR and a for patients to restore heart and breathing functions.
Provide conscious sedation for patients in endoscopy department.

Critical care nurse vs emergency room nurse skills

Common critical care nurse skills

Patients, 31%
BLS, 11%
Acls, 8%
Life Support, 5%
Quality Care, 3%
Compassion, 3%

Common emergency room nurse skills

Patients, 22%
BLS, 14%
Acls, 10%
Triage, 6%
Acute Care, 6%
TNCC, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Critical Care Nurse
Critical Care Nurse vs Emergency Room Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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