Critical care nurse vs progressive care nurse

The differences between critical care nurses and progressive care 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 $71,768 average annual salary of a progressive care nurse.

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

Critical care nurse vs progressive care nurse overview

	Critical Care Nurse	Progressive Care Nurse
Yearly salary	$76,788	$71,768
Hourly rate	$36.92	$34.50
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	594,859	654,051
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
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 progressive care nurse do?

Progressive care nurses are nursing professionals who are responsible for monitoring the condition of patients that are admitted to the hospital's progressive care unit (PCU). These nurses are required to observe the acutely ill patients for critical vital signs and detect any changes while initiating life-saving interventions when needed. They must interpret measurements from specialized medical equipment while performing diagnostic assessments on the changes in the measurements. Progressive care nurses must also update patient files and report any deteriorating conditions to healthcare specialists.

Critical care nurse vs progressive care nurse salary

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

	Critical Care Nurse	Progressive Care Nurse
Average salary	$76,788	$71,768
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $130,000	Between $45,000 And $113,000
Highest paying City	Palo Alto, CA	Redding, CA
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	Dignity Health	AccentCare
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between critical care nurse and progressive care nurse education

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

	Critical Care Nurse	Progressive Care Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Critical care nurse vs progressive care nurse demographics

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

	Critical Care Nurse	Progressive Care Nurse
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 18.9% Female, 81.1%	Male, 13.2% Female, 86.8%
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, 11.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between critical care nurse and progressive care 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.

Progressive care nurse example responsibilities.

Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Develop, implement and evaluate patients' rehabilitation goals to facilitate patient satisfaction.
Utilize EMR for charting, medication ordering, and referrals
Stage, measure, photograph wounds and document in EMR system.
Used strict aseptic technique during the dialysis procedure and when caring for the peritoneal catheter.
Set up and operate equipment as needed: EKG, cardiac monitors, suction and respiratory equipment.

Critical care nurse vs progressive care nurse skills

Common critical care nurse skills

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

Common progressive care nurse skills

Patients, 23%
BLS, 14%
Progressive Care, 8%
Acute Care, 6%
Acls, 6%
Telemetry, 5%

Critical Care Nurse vs. similar jobs

Critical Care Nurse related careers

Critical Care Nurse related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Critical Care Nurse
Critical Care Nurse vs Progressive Care Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs