Critical care nurse vs nurse

The differences between critical care nurses and nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a critical care nurse has an average salary of $76,788, which is higher than the $57,564 average annual salary of a nurse.

The top three skills for a critical care nurse include patients, BLS and acls. The most important skills for a nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.

Critical care nurse vs nurse overview

	Critical Care Nurse	Nurse
Yearly salary	$76,788	$57,564
Hourly rate	$36.92	$27.68
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	594,859	696,124
Job satisfaction	-	4
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 a nurse do?

Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.

Critical care nurse vs nurse salary

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

	Critical Care Nurse	Nurse
Average salary	$76,788	$57,564
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $130,000	Between $38,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Palo Alto, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Dignity Health	Conviva
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between critical care nurse and nurse education

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

	Critical Care Nurse	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 nurse demographics

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

	Critical Care Nurse	Nurse
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 18.9% Female, 81.1%	Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0%
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, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between critical care nurse and 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.

Nurse example responsibilities.

Monitor patients' status during surgery (circulate in operating room) and manage patients in PACU.
Manage high-acuity cardiac/pulmonary and psychiatric patients
Monitor patients for cardiac rhythm changes and implement medication according to ACLS guidelines.
Educate patients and families on diseases processes, medications, wind care, and iv infusion.
Provide care for patients on medical/surgical, transplant, cardiac, orthopedic, postpartum, neonatal ICU, and psychiatric units
Demonstrate competence in CPR and other medical emergency situations.

Critical care nurse vs nurse skills

Common critical care nurse skills

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

Common nurse skills

Patients, 21%
Home Health, 7%
CPR, 6%
BLS, 6%
Acute Care, 5%
Acls, 4%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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