Intensive care unit nurse vs nurse clinician

The differences between intensive care unit nurses and nurse clinicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an intensive care unit nurse has an average salary of $79,483, which is higher than the $65,159 average annual salary of a nurse clinician.

The top three skills for an intensive care unit nurse include patients, BLS and acls. The most important skills for a nurse clinician are patients, patient education, and CPR.

Intensive care unit nurse vs nurse clinician overview

	Intensive Care Unit Nurse	Nurse Clinician
Yearly salary	$79,483	$65,159
Hourly rate	$38.21	$31.33
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	611,699	596,073
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	2

What does an intensive care unit nurse do?

An Intensive Care Unit Nurse is specialized in providing care in intensive care units of hospitals. They assist in the treatment of acutely ill patients with life-threatening conditions.

What does a nurse clinician do?

A nurse clinician is a health expert who provides care and assistance to patients in hospitals, clinics, or similar establishments. Among their responsibilities include preparing equipment and documents, administering medication, monitoring the patient's condition, maintaining charts, and regularly reporting to physicians. In some establishments, they may also perform administrative support tasks such as answering calls and correspondence, preparing and processing documents, and organizing records. Moreover, a nurse clinician must maintain an active communication line with fellow medical staff to provide optimal services to patients.

Intensive care unit nurse vs nurse clinician salary

Intensive care unit nurses and nurse clinicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Intensive Care Unit Nurse	Nurse Clinician
Average salary	$79,483	$65,159
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $131,000	Between $48,000 And $88,000
Highest paying City	Santa Clara, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Nevada	New York
Best paying company	Dignity Health	Healthpoint
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between intensive care unit nurse and nurse clinician education

There are a few differences between an intensive care unit nurse and a nurse clinician in terms of educational background:

	Intensive Care Unit Nurse	Nurse Clinician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Intensive care unit nurse vs nurse clinician demographics

Here are the differences between intensive care unit nurses' and nurse clinicians' demographics:

	Intensive Care Unit Nurse	Nurse Clinician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 18.2% Female, 81.8%	Male, 10.9% Female, 89.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 9.6% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between intensive care unit nurse and nurse clinician duties and responsibilities

Intensive care unit nurse example responsibilities.

Manage pre- and post-surgical care, specifically for GI disorders.
Manage patients who suffer respiratory/cardiac arrest per ACLS protocol.
Manage patients requiring blood transfusions, iv antibiotic therapy, complications from chemotherapy and radiation.
Care for cardiac patients in CCU.
Incorporate ACLS and BLS algorithms on a frequent basis.
Provide care to ventilator dependent patients, tracheal care, and ICP monitoring.

Nurse clinician example responsibilities.

Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Provide high level nursing care for ER step down and ICU patients prior to transfer to critical care units.
Instruct ACLS and BLS classes.
Specialize care for telemetry and orthopedic patients.
Provide specialized nursing care to ICU medical cardiac patient populations.
Provide education regarding care of surgical patients as part of orientation to orienting telemetry nurses.

Intensive care unit nurse vs nurse clinician skills

Common intensive care unit nurse skills

Patients, 22%
BLS, 18%
Acls, 13%
Diagnostic Tests, 6%
Catheter, 5%
Compassion, 5%

Common nurse clinician skills

Patients, 33%
Patient Education, 5%
CPR, 5%
Emergency Situations, 5%
Patient Outcomes, 3%
Educational Programs, 3%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Intensive Care Unit Nurse
Intensive Care Unit Nurse vs Nurse Clinician

Updated January 8, 2025

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