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Critical Care Nurse

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AVG. SALARY

$82,110

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EDUCATION

Bachelor's degree

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JOB OUTLOOK

Stable

What They Do

About This Career

Provides specialized nursing care for patients in critical or coronary care units.

This career is part of the Health Science cluster Therapeutic Services pathway.

A person in this career:

  • Evaluates patients' vital signs or laboratory data to determine emergency intervention needs.
  • Monitors patients for changes in status and indications of conditions such as sepsis or shock and institutes appropriate interventions.
  • Administers medications intravenously, by injection, orally, through gastric tubes, or by other methods.
  • Monitors patients' fluid intake and output to detect emerging problems, such as fluid and electrolyte imbalances.
  • Prioritizes nursing care for assigned critically ill patients, based on assessment data or identified needs.
  • Compiles and analyzes data obtained from monitoring or diagnostic tests.
  • Conducts pulmonary assessments to identify abnormal respiratory patterns or breathing sounds that indicate problems.
  • Assesses patients' pain levels or sedation requirements.
  • Collaborates with other health care professionals to develop and revise treatment plans, based on identified needs and assessment data.
  • Documents patients' medical histories and assessment findings.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

  • You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
  • Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
  • Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
  • Exposed to disease and infections more than once a month through work such as patient care, laboratory work, and sanitation control
  • Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
  • Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
  • Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
  • Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

  • Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
  • Seeing clearly up close
  • Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
  • Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
  • Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

  • Rotating shift work
  • Weekend work

Specialty and Similar Careers

Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:

  • Nurse
  • Newborn ICU RN (Newborn Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse)
  • Critical Care Nurse Practitioner
  • ICU Critical Care NP (Intensive Care Unit Critical Care Nurse Practitioner)
  • Certified Critical Care Nurse
  • Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)
  • Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse (ICU RN)
  • Staff Nurse
  • Pediatric Critical Care Nurse Practitioner
  • ICU Nurse (Intensive Care Unit Nurse)

Contact

  • Email Support

  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900

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