5 answers
Laura
Student
Bronxville, New York
1
Question
Asked
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What steps should I take to become a Critical Care Nurse?
Hey everyone my name is Laura and I am currently a sophomore in College. My first year I did not have the best of grades and I just want to hear that maybe I can still be what I always wanted to be, a Nurse. Any advice or motivation? Please #nursing #college
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5 answers
Suzanne Swain Brint
Nursing
169
Answers
Santa Monica, California
Updated
Suzanne’s Answer
Hi Laura,
In order to become a critical care nurse you must earn either an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree in nursing science then sit for your state board test and pass it. This is a general knowledge test. Passing all of the required classes requires commitment and effort every single day. Personally I don't consider myself super intelligent, but I was able to excel in my nursing program including my master's degree by applying myself every single day to the goal of earning those degrees and my nursing license. I can guarantee you that you will never, ever regret earning your nursing license. It has been an incredibly rewarding career for me as well as providing me and my family financial stability.
Life is a series of choices. You can choose to go out at night or you can choose to stay home and study. You can choose to watch television or to do your readings. This doesn't mean you're not having fun, you will be. But fun will be second to studying not the other way around.
If this sounds harsh I want you to think about this: when you become a nurse or other people become physicians you have the lives of other people in your hands. Wouldn't you want to be taken care of by someone who took their studies seriously?
Studying to become a nurse involves classes in chemistry, biology, microbiology, math, pharmacology, anatomy and physiology. When you have completed your degree will have a generalized understanding of body systems, the nursing process, abnormal psychology, ethics, and disease states. You'll take your state board and pass it easily. At that point you can enter the nursing field and hopefully find a hospital that has need for critical care nurses and has a training program.
I hope you find this answer helpful and best of luck to you as you pursue your dream.
In order to become a critical care nurse you must earn either an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree in nursing science then sit for your state board test and pass it. This is a general knowledge test. Passing all of the required classes requires commitment and effort every single day. Personally I don't consider myself super intelligent, but I was able to excel in my nursing program including my master's degree by applying myself every single day to the goal of earning those degrees and my nursing license. I can guarantee you that you will never, ever regret earning your nursing license. It has been an incredibly rewarding career for me as well as providing me and my family financial stability.
Life is a series of choices. You can choose to go out at night or you can choose to stay home and study. You can choose to watch television or to do your readings. This doesn't mean you're not having fun, you will be. But fun will be second to studying not the other way around.
If this sounds harsh I want you to think about this: when you become a nurse or other people become physicians you have the lives of other people in your hands. Wouldn't you want to be taken care of by someone who took their studies seriously?
Studying to become a nurse involves classes in chemistry, biology, microbiology, math, pharmacology, anatomy and physiology. When you have completed your degree will have a generalized understanding of body systems, the nursing process, abnormal psychology, ethics, and disease states. You'll take your state board and pass it easily. At that point you can enter the nursing field and hopefully find a hospital that has need for critical care nurses and has a training program.
I hope you find this answer helpful and best of luck to you as you pursue your dream.
Lisa Fiorello BSN, RN, CCRN
Assistant Nurse Manager of Critical Care
28
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Lisa’s Answer
Get your Bachelors degree in Nursing. Apply to a hospital and take any position you are offered. Medical surgical nursing is a good start. Get your ACLS certification. Either on your own and with the hospital. Then take a basic EKG course. Offer to take the critical care course at your hospital on your own ! Sometimes seniority in a union is necessary so you will have to pay your dues, meaning work a certain period of time on any unit your are r thrilled with. You may need to start in a night shift position but it will be worth it. Apply to critical care areas. CCU., ICU, CTU, ER or PACU are all critical care areas. Once your in, after a few year go for your CCRN or CEN certification. After that you can chose whatever you like ! NP program. CRNA. CNS. The sky is the limit. Continue your education. You'll never regret the work you put into this profession !! Good luck 🍀
Dr. Frank Akawi, BS, DVM, MS, MBA, PhD, CVA, CCRT
Veterinarian
59
Answers
Bradenton, Florida
Updated
Dr. Frank’s Answer
The critical nurse job is to assess the patient's condition, monitor and safeguard quality of care delivered, act as a advocate for the patient and their family, support the family by providing education, and monitor bodily function closely in an effort to change the treatment when necessary, according to the American Association .
You would provide much of the basic care for patients in critical condition and assist physicians and specialists with treating these critical patients. You would also be responsible for monitoring your critical patients. The majority of critical care nurses work in hospitals with intensive and critical care units.
Steps to Become a Critical Care Nurse are:
Earn Your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) .
Earn a Master's Degree from an Accredited MSN Program.
Get Certified as a Critical Care Nurse by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN)
Gain Nursing Experience
And Move Your Career Ahead With Certification.
According to the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses in the U.S. earn between $44,000 and $95,000 per year, with the median salary being about $64,000.
Estelle Archer
Gynecologist
1322
Answers
United States
Updated
Estelle’s Answer
At this point, your first step is getting into nursing school. After you complete nursing school, you can apply it to work in a critical care unit.
abas lo
teaching
3
Answers
Isfahan, Isfahan Province, Iran
Updated
abas’s Answer
According to the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), patients who are dangerously ill or suffering from life-threatening injuries that require advanced care can typically be found in these hospital departments:
Intensive care unit (ICU)
Emergency department
Step-down unit
Neonatal ICU
Pediatric ICU
Cardiac care units
Cardiac catheter labs
Telemetry units
Progressive units
Recovery rooms
The AACN goes on to report that critical care nurses comprise some 37 percent of the total number of nurses who work in hospitals. Typical work settings also include patients’ personal residences, outpatient surgery centers, private physicians’ offices, managed care centers, and nursing schools. In any employment setting, the critical care nurse must have the ability to perform complex patient assessments, implement intensive interventions and therapies, and monitor patients, all while remaining calm in desperate, sometimes life-threatening situations. Because a critically ill or injured patient’s condition can change quickly without warning, the critical care nurse must be capable of immediately changing a current care plan and providing emergency care as necessary.
Besides direct, hands-on care, the critical care nurse also performs the important role of acting as the patient’s advocate. In this position, advocacy means supporting and respecting the basic rights, values, and beliefs of a patient who is critically ill or injured. Performing as the patient’s representative, a critical care nurse finds additional resources for patients outside of the immediate care setting to assist in their recovery. Advocacy in this role, according to the AACN, means the critical care nurse is expected to:
Respect the rights of the patient or his or her designated surrogate to make independent health care decisions, even when he or she disagrees with those decisions.
Act as an intermediary in matters concerning the patient, his or her family, and other staff involved in the patient’s direct care or members of the care team.
Intervene when other health care professionals or the family is not acting in the patient’s best interests.
Continually monitor the quality of care provided to the patient.
Assist the patient in obtaining necessary care when the critical care facility is unable to provide it.
Act as a champion for patients who are unable to speak for themselves when the situation demands it.
Educate and support the person acting as the patient’s spokesperson.
Transfer care to other health care personnel as situations demand.
Represent the patient’s wishes to other medical staff.
Working as a Critical Care Nurse: Typical Duties & Responsibilities
The critical care nurse works alongside other healthcare professionals, including doctors, surgeons, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse researchers, nurse educators, and health care case managers. As a direct result of pressure applied by managed care insurance organizations, today’s hospitals have been forced to reduce costs, increasing the demand for additional critical care nurses in outpatient settings. When the nursing shortage hit, the specialty areas of nursing, including critical care, suffered more than nurses in more general positions, which makes skilled, experienced critical care nurses especially valuable in today’s job market.
While people have always suffered serious illness or injuries, the concept of one-on-one care from a nurse with specialty training is relatively new. In fact, the first ICU department was established in an American hospital in the 1950s. The critical care nurse position as we know it today arose in this environment. While the original role of the critical care nurse was in hospital ICU departments, it has expanded greatly over the past six decades.
In addition to acting as a patient advocate, a critical care nurse has these specific duties, among others:
Cleaning and bandaging patient wounds.
Tracking life support equipment such as heart monitors.
Immediately responding to changes in the patient’s condition.
Evaluating vital signs such as heart rate, respiratory rate, and body temperature.
Administering medications through an intravenous tube, gastric tube, orally, by injection, or other methods, as determined by the patient’s condition.
Infusing blood products and monitoring patients for reactions.
Caring for the patient’s body immediately after death and arranging for transportation to a hospital, burial facility, or morgue.
Identifying patient needs according to age and level of consciousness and creating a care plan to meet them.
Diagnosing patient illnesses and injuries.
The critical care nurse works with patients and families who are experiencing extreme stress. An empathetic, compassionate nature and the ability to remain calm in life or death situations are necessary to perform effectively in this position. Additionally, the critical care nurse must learn not to take patient and family behaviors as personal attacks; instead, he or she should remain calm and dispassionate in all situations. The nurse must have the ability to make tough decisions, think quickly and calmly, and maintain a caring but objective attitude.
Steps to Become a Critical Care Nurse
A critical care nurse provides specialized care to patients in the intensive care units of a hospital that treat the most severely ill or injured patients, caring for the daily needs of those who are the most vulnerable. To perform effectively in this position, critical care professionals require specialized training.
While education and training are essential for this type of nursing career, it’s equally important that the critical care nurse has the right temperament. He or she must be cool-headed and confident, with the ability to endure physical and emotional stress. Indeed, the critical nurse also must have the ability to make vital decisions while under stress. Critical care nurses, also known as “ICU nurses,” must also possess excellent communication skills and be able to work with patients of all ages from a variety of backgrounds and cultures.
ICU nurses often face a harsh reality. Many will not be able to restore their patients to good health; in fact, the patient may die while in the ICU unit. Over the course of their career, critical care nurses may experience patient death many times, which can take a toll on the nurse’s own mental health. This type of emotional stress can be draining and heartbreaking, but the right person for the job may find working as a critical care nurse a very rewarding career. This nurse often finds fulfillment in playing an important role in the lives of the patients with the greatest needs.
1. Earn Your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
The first step toward becoming a critical care nurse is to earn a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). While working toward the BSN degree, students study the principles of nursing and develop critical-thinking skills and problem-solving skills as they learn. During the course of study for a standard BSN degree, a student will learn anatomy, nutrition, microbiology, public health, health assessment, physiology, and evidence-based practice.
Acquiring this type of degree helps students learn how to function in a standard nursing role, which provides the foundation for more specialized training. Students who participate in a BSN program learn both evidence- and theoretical-based nursing practice. Many BSN programs require that students participate in clinical observations, which provides a glimpse of the day-to-day activities and stressors encountered in real-life care situations. Clinical experience helps students enter the field with a fully developed understanding of their profession.
2. Pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN)
Once a nurse has graduated from a BSN program, he or she must pass the NCLEX-RN exam, a requirement for any nurse who wishes to receive licensure and work in the United States. The NCLEX-RN is a computer-generated exam created by a non-profit organization, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). This organization works with nursing and regulatory boards to help maintain standards in nursing and promote the profession in every state.
The NCLEX-RN exam is designed to cover the processes that make up the foundations of nursing practice. The test is divided into four categories and six sub categories that span a range of topics, all of which help measure nursing competency.
Physiological Adaptation
Reduction of Risk Potential
Safe and Effective Care Environment
Physiological Integrity
Psychosocial Integrity
Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies
Reduction of Risk Potential
Basic Care and Comfort
Management of Care
Health Promotion and Maintenance
After taking and passing the exam, a registered nurse must work for a minimum of two years. Nurses who wish to eventually become critical care nurses should work with populations such as families, geriatrics, adults, and children.
3. Earn a Master’s Degree from an Accredited MSN Program
To advance from this level, nurses should earn a master’s degree from an accredited MSN program with an emphasis in critical care or ICU nursing. While studying for the master’s degree, critical care nurses take additional theoretical- and evidence-based classes, building on the foundations of nursing learned while earning their BSN degree. This intensive education helps critical care nurses perform as professionals immediately upon graduation.
MSN Program Goals & Objectives
While earning the MSN degree, potential critical care nurses receive instruction in the classroom and complete clinical hours, both of which help provide the medical knowledge and skills the nurse needs to treat critically ill patients.
Additionally, critical care nurses learn how to take a leadership role in their positions. They learn how to meld theoretical learning with the real-life scenarios encountered in hospital settings.
Essential Skills & Knowledge
Master’s students are taught critical-thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills, training that helps critical care nurses prepare for the types of problems they will encounter on the job and during future interactions with their patients, families, and doctors. In addition, ICU nurses are taught to anticipate the emotional and physical challenges that accompany their profession, so they’ll be better prepared to think in a cool, objective manner in the midst of stressful situations.
Because the master’s degree is more advanced than a BSN, it provides instruction in the scientific thinking behind nursing theory and practice. This makes it possible for critical care nurses to make the type of immediate decisions required to help save patients’ lives. Students also learn how to interpret and evaluate journal articles and medical literature relevant to their profession, so they can continue their education after obtaining their degree.
MSN Coursework, Content, and Training
Typical MSN coursework, content, and training include a variety of courses focused on science, health, ethics, policy, professional dynamics, nursing research, pharmacology, acute care, public health, physiology, and more. Critical care nurses, more than other types of nurses, must possess a broad understanding of a range of health care topics. This helps ensure that they are prepared to meet the needs of their patients in critical situations.
4. Get Certified as a Critical Care Nurse by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN)
The CCRN certification from the AACN Certification Corporation establishes a baseline of knowledge for nursing critically ill or injured patients. Nurses who want to advance their career, demonstrate their knowledge, and improve their skills can obtain this certification.
Many different areas of specialization exist, including:
CCRN (Adult, Pediatric or Neonatal) ‒ Nurses provide direct care to critically ill patients
CCRN-K (Adult, Pediatric or Neonatal) ‒ Nurses influence care but do not provide direct care for patients
CCRN-E (Adult) ‒ Nurses work with ill patients from a remote location
PCCN-K (Adult) ‒ Nurses influence care but do not provide direct care for patients
CMC (Adult) ‒ Nurses provide care to critically ill cardiac patients
CSC (Adult) ‒ Nurses provide care to critically ill cardiac surgery patients
ACNPC-AG (Adult-Gero) ‒ Nurses provide care to meet the needs of very sick adult-gerontology patients
Critical care nurses have their choice of these specializations and others. The nurse must acquire knowledge, training, and experience with the population of focus to become certified. This certification is good for three years and must be renewed periodically.
The AACN certifications are provided by a national board-accredited organization, which means board certification is awarded to those candidates who meet national requirements. In addition to AACN board certifications, critical care nurses can obtain other types of certifications from different organizations. If you seek certification from another organization, check credentialing requirements before pursuing the endorsement. Requirements for renewal may differ from those stipulated by the AACN.
Continuing Education
Employers usually require that their critical care nursing staff maintain continuing education to retain their position. Continuing education helps nurses perform effectively in the workplace, stay up-to-date with the most current teachings in the field, and master the latest technology. Continuing education also helps nurses perform as leaders in the workplace and raises the bar to ensure excellent patient care at each facility.
5. Search for Jobs and Enter the Workforce
Once you graduate from a master’s program, it’s time to find a job. Critical care nurses occupy an important niche in the nursing profession, and they are in high demand. Facilities all over the country, especially hospitals, hire critical care nurses to serve their patients. In addition to hospitals, critical care nurses may find work in nursing care facilities, home health care services, outpatient care centers, and physicians’ offices.
Many critical care nurses begin looking for work even before they graduate from their master’s program. Research before graduation helps candidates learn about the job market in their area, which helps them when it’s time to seek a position. Networking before graduation also helps the candidate find a position by not only helping them learn of open jobs but to secure a reference that will them get the position. As a result, nurse candidates are encouraged to maintain good relationships with peers, mentors, critical care staff, and administration.
Critical care nurses gain an edge over other candidates by practicing their interviewing skills prior to the meeting. With a friend’s help, role-play the interview process, anticipating potential question along with the best answers. Before the interview, the nurse candidate should research the facility to learn its values, history, and other important details. Nurses who prepare in this manner typically gain an edge during the interview process over other candidates.
Nurses should remember the most important skills required of a nurse in an ICU facility. Providing examples of real-life scenarios in which the candidate kept calm and poised and confident during an emergency, established relationships with patients, and made critical decisions decisively and quickly ‒ all show future employers the value of the candidate in a clinical setting.
Finding the right position can take some time. However, because critical care nurses fulfill an important role in the hospitals and facilities that handle patient emergencies, it’s true that not every candidate is right for the role. However, with hard work, careful preparation, and a thorough education, the potential critical care nurse should quickly find a rewarding position.
Critical Care Nurse Salary & Employment Outlook
According to the job posting and career website Indeed.com, the median annual salary for a critical care nurse is $68,462. The exact salary earned by a health care professional in this position depends on the level of education, years of experience, size of the hospital or healthcare facility, and numerous other factors. Indeed.com reports the following salaries for critical care nurses at various points on the pay spectrum:
10th percentile; $55,531 annual salary
25th percentile; $61,693 annual salary
75th percentile; $74,492 annual salary
90th percentile; $79,791 annual salary
For full-time positions, the reported hourly salary ranges from $27 to $38. Alternate job titles for the critical care nurse include: “intensive care unit nurse”; “registered nurse – intensive care unit”; “nurse”; “staff nurse – ICU”; “RN – intensive care unit” and “acute care nurse.”
Although it does not state a specific projected growth rate for the critical care nurse professional, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates a 16 percent increase in demand for all nurses. This figure covers all the years through 2024. However, it’s safe to assume that the need for nurses with ICU experience will be even greater in the future.
As mentioned, critically ill and injured people are no longer confined only to hospitals. They need help at home, in community-based programs, at physical therapy facilities, and in a variety of other settings. People who would not have survived even a generation ago often are released from hospitals with complex medical needs that must be managed, sometimes for the remainder of their lives. This demand requires critical care nurses with specialized training and experience to meet the needs.
The nationwide increase in diabetes and other chronic health conditions is another reason behind the expected increase in demand for nurses with critical care experience. Although the critical care nursing position is often stressful and the pace chaotic, professionals who thrive in this role enjoy the satisfaction of helping others improve their quality of life.
A critical care nurse treats patients with acute, even life-threatening injuries or medical issues. The critical care nurse has received specialized training that enables him or her to manage and monitor those patients who are the
Intensive care unit (ICU)
Emergency department
Step-down unit
Neonatal ICU
Pediatric ICU
Cardiac care units
Cardiac catheter labs
Telemetry units
Progressive units
Recovery rooms
The AACN goes on to report that critical care nurses comprise some 37 percent of the total number of nurses who work in hospitals. Typical work settings also include patients’ personal residences, outpatient surgery centers, private physicians’ offices, managed care centers, and nursing schools. In any employment setting, the critical care nurse must have the ability to perform complex patient assessments, implement intensive interventions and therapies, and monitor patients, all while remaining calm in desperate, sometimes life-threatening situations. Because a critically ill or injured patient’s condition can change quickly without warning, the critical care nurse must be capable of immediately changing a current care plan and providing emergency care as necessary.
Besides direct, hands-on care, the critical care nurse also performs the important role of acting as the patient’s advocate. In this position, advocacy means supporting and respecting the basic rights, values, and beliefs of a patient who is critically ill or injured. Performing as the patient’s representative, a critical care nurse finds additional resources for patients outside of the immediate care setting to assist in their recovery. Advocacy in this role, according to the AACN, means the critical care nurse is expected to:
Respect the rights of the patient or his or her designated surrogate to make independent health care decisions, even when he or she disagrees with those decisions.
Act as an intermediary in matters concerning the patient, his or her family, and other staff involved in the patient’s direct care or members of the care team.
Intervene when other health care professionals or the family is not acting in the patient’s best interests.
Continually monitor the quality of care provided to the patient.
Assist the patient in obtaining necessary care when the critical care facility is unable to provide it.
Act as a champion for patients who are unable to speak for themselves when the situation demands it.
Educate and support the person acting as the patient’s spokesperson.
Transfer care to other health care personnel as situations demand.
Represent the patient’s wishes to other medical staff.
Working as a Critical Care Nurse: Typical Duties & Responsibilities
The critical care nurse works alongside other healthcare professionals, including doctors, surgeons, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse researchers, nurse educators, and health care case managers. As a direct result of pressure applied by managed care insurance organizations, today’s hospitals have been forced to reduce costs, increasing the demand for additional critical care nurses in outpatient settings. When the nursing shortage hit, the specialty areas of nursing, including critical care, suffered more than nurses in more general positions, which makes skilled, experienced critical care nurses especially valuable in today’s job market.
While people have always suffered serious illness or injuries, the concept of one-on-one care from a nurse with specialty training is relatively new. In fact, the first ICU department was established in an American hospital in the 1950s. The critical care nurse position as we know it today arose in this environment. While the original role of the critical care nurse was in hospital ICU departments, it has expanded greatly over the past six decades.
In addition to acting as a patient advocate, a critical care nurse has these specific duties, among others:
Cleaning and bandaging patient wounds.
Tracking life support equipment such as heart monitors.
Immediately responding to changes in the patient’s condition.
Evaluating vital signs such as heart rate, respiratory rate, and body temperature.
Administering medications through an intravenous tube, gastric tube, orally, by injection, or other methods, as determined by the patient’s condition.
Infusing blood products and monitoring patients for reactions.
Caring for the patient’s body immediately after death and arranging for transportation to a hospital, burial facility, or morgue.
Identifying patient needs according to age and level of consciousness and creating a care plan to meet them.
Diagnosing patient illnesses and injuries.
The critical care nurse works with patients and families who are experiencing extreme stress. An empathetic, compassionate nature and the ability to remain calm in life or death situations are necessary to perform effectively in this position. Additionally, the critical care nurse must learn not to take patient and family behaviors as personal attacks; instead, he or she should remain calm and dispassionate in all situations. The nurse must have the ability to make tough decisions, think quickly and calmly, and maintain a caring but objective attitude.
Steps to Become a Critical Care Nurse
A critical care nurse provides specialized care to patients in the intensive care units of a hospital that treat the most severely ill or injured patients, caring for the daily needs of those who are the most vulnerable. To perform effectively in this position, critical care professionals require specialized training.
While education and training are essential for this type of nursing career, it’s equally important that the critical care nurse has the right temperament. He or she must be cool-headed and confident, with the ability to endure physical and emotional stress. Indeed, the critical nurse also must have the ability to make vital decisions while under stress. Critical care nurses, also known as “ICU nurses,” must also possess excellent communication skills and be able to work with patients of all ages from a variety of backgrounds and cultures.
ICU nurses often face a harsh reality. Many will not be able to restore their patients to good health; in fact, the patient may die while in the ICU unit. Over the course of their career, critical care nurses may experience patient death many times, which can take a toll on the nurse’s own mental health. This type of emotional stress can be draining and heartbreaking, but the right person for the job may find working as a critical care nurse a very rewarding career. This nurse often finds fulfillment in playing an important role in the lives of the patients with the greatest needs.
1. Earn Your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
The first step toward becoming a critical care nurse is to earn a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). While working toward the BSN degree, students study the principles of nursing and develop critical-thinking skills and problem-solving skills as they learn. During the course of study for a standard BSN degree, a student will learn anatomy, nutrition, microbiology, public health, health assessment, physiology, and evidence-based practice.
Acquiring this type of degree helps students learn how to function in a standard nursing role, which provides the foundation for more specialized training. Students who participate in a BSN program learn both evidence- and theoretical-based nursing practice. Many BSN programs require that students participate in clinical observations, which provides a glimpse of the day-to-day activities and stressors encountered in real-life care situations. Clinical experience helps students enter the field with a fully developed understanding of their profession.
2. Pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN)
Once a nurse has graduated from a BSN program, he or she must pass the NCLEX-RN exam, a requirement for any nurse who wishes to receive licensure and work in the United States. The NCLEX-RN is a computer-generated exam created by a non-profit organization, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). This organization works with nursing and regulatory boards to help maintain standards in nursing and promote the profession in every state.
The NCLEX-RN exam is designed to cover the processes that make up the foundations of nursing practice. The test is divided into four categories and six sub categories that span a range of topics, all of which help measure nursing competency.
Physiological Adaptation
Reduction of Risk Potential
Safe and Effective Care Environment
Physiological Integrity
Psychosocial Integrity
Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies
Reduction of Risk Potential
Basic Care and Comfort
Management of Care
Health Promotion and Maintenance
After taking and passing the exam, a registered nurse must work for a minimum of two years. Nurses who wish to eventually become critical care nurses should work with populations such as families, geriatrics, adults, and children.
3. Earn a Master’s Degree from an Accredited MSN Program
To advance from this level, nurses should earn a master’s degree from an accredited MSN program with an emphasis in critical care or ICU nursing. While studying for the master’s degree, critical care nurses take additional theoretical- and evidence-based classes, building on the foundations of nursing learned while earning their BSN degree. This intensive education helps critical care nurses perform as professionals immediately upon graduation.
MSN Program Goals & Objectives
While earning the MSN degree, potential critical care nurses receive instruction in the classroom and complete clinical hours, both of which help provide the medical knowledge and skills the nurse needs to treat critically ill patients.
Additionally, critical care nurses learn how to take a leadership role in their positions. They learn how to meld theoretical learning with the real-life scenarios encountered in hospital settings.
Essential Skills & Knowledge
Master’s students are taught critical-thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills, training that helps critical care nurses prepare for the types of problems they will encounter on the job and during future interactions with their patients, families, and doctors. In addition, ICU nurses are taught to anticipate the emotional and physical challenges that accompany their profession, so they’ll be better prepared to think in a cool, objective manner in the midst of stressful situations.
Because the master’s degree is more advanced than a BSN, it provides instruction in the scientific thinking behind nursing theory and practice. This makes it possible for critical care nurses to make the type of immediate decisions required to help save patients’ lives. Students also learn how to interpret and evaluate journal articles and medical literature relevant to their profession, so they can continue their education after obtaining their degree.
MSN Coursework, Content, and Training
Typical MSN coursework, content, and training include a variety of courses focused on science, health, ethics, policy, professional dynamics, nursing research, pharmacology, acute care, public health, physiology, and more. Critical care nurses, more than other types of nurses, must possess a broad understanding of a range of health care topics. This helps ensure that they are prepared to meet the needs of their patients in critical situations.
4. Get Certified as a Critical Care Nurse by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN)
The CCRN certification from the AACN Certification Corporation establishes a baseline of knowledge for nursing critically ill or injured patients. Nurses who want to advance their career, demonstrate their knowledge, and improve their skills can obtain this certification.
Many different areas of specialization exist, including:
CCRN (Adult, Pediatric or Neonatal) ‒ Nurses provide direct care to critically ill patients
CCRN-K (Adult, Pediatric or Neonatal) ‒ Nurses influence care but do not provide direct care for patients
CCRN-E (Adult) ‒ Nurses work with ill patients from a remote location
PCCN-K (Adult) ‒ Nurses influence care but do not provide direct care for patients
CMC (Adult) ‒ Nurses provide care to critically ill cardiac patients
CSC (Adult) ‒ Nurses provide care to critically ill cardiac surgery patients
ACNPC-AG (Adult-Gero) ‒ Nurses provide care to meet the needs of very sick adult-gerontology patients
Critical care nurses have their choice of these specializations and others. The nurse must acquire knowledge, training, and experience with the population of focus to become certified. This certification is good for three years and must be renewed periodically.
The AACN certifications are provided by a national board-accredited organization, which means board certification is awarded to those candidates who meet national requirements. In addition to AACN board certifications, critical care nurses can obtain other types of certifications from different organizations. If you seek certification from another organization, check credentialing requirements before pursuing the endorsement. Requirements for renewal may differ from those stipulated by the AACN.
Continuing Education
Employers usually require that their critical care nursing staff maintain continuing education to retain their position. Continuing education helps nurses perform effectively in the workplace, stay up-to-date with the most current teachings in the field, and master the latest technology. Continuing education also helps nurses perform as leaders in the workplace and raises the bar to ensure excellent patient care at each facility.
5. Search for Jobs and Enter the Workforce
Once you graduate from a master’s program, it’s time to find a job. Critical care nurses occupy an important niche in the nursing profession, and they are in high demand. Facilities all over the country, especially hospitals, hire critical care nurses to serve their patients. In addition to hospitals, critical care nurses may find work in nursing care facilities, home health care services, outpatient care centers, and physicians’ offices.
Many critical care nurses begin looking for work even before they graduate from their master’s program. Research before graduation helps candidates learn about the job market in their area, which helps them when it’s time to seek a position. Networking before graduation also helps the candidate find a position by not only helping them learn of open jobs but to secure a reference that will them get the position. As a result, nurse candidates are encouraged to maintain good relationships with peers, mentors, critical care staff, and administration.
Critical care nurses gain an edge over other candidates by practicing their interviewing skills prior to the meeting. With a friend’s help, role-play the interview process, anticipating potential question along with the best answers. Before the interview, the nurse candidate should research the facility to learn its values, history, and other important details. Nurses who prepare in this manner typically gain an edge during the interview process over other candidates.
Nurses should remember the most important skills required of a nurse in an ICU facility. Providing examples of real-life scenarios in which the candidate kept calm and poised and confident during an emergency, established relationships with patients, and made critical decisions decisively and quickly ‒ all show future employers the value of the candidate in a clinical setting.
Finding the right position can take some time. However, because critical care nurses fulfill an important role in the hospitals and facilities that handle patient emergencies, it’s true that not every candidate is right for the role. However, with hard work, careful preparation, and a thorough education, the potential critical care nurse should quickly find a rewarding position.
Critical Care Nurse Salary & Employment Outlook
According to the job posting and career website Indeed.com, the median annual salary for a critical care nurse is $68,462. The exact salary earned by a health care professional in this position depends on the level of education, years of experience, size of the hospital or healthcare facility, and numerous other factors. Indeed.com reports the following salaries for critical care nurses at various points on the pay spectrum:
10th percentile; $55,531 annual salary
25th percentile; $61,693 annual salary
75th percentile; $74,492 annual salary
90th percentile; $79,791 annual salary
For full-time positions, the reported hourly salary ranges from $27 to $38. Alternate job titles for the critical care nurse include: “intensive care unit nurse”; “registered nurse – intensive care unit”; “nurse”; “staff nurse – ICU”; “RN – intensive care unit” and “acute care nurse.”
Although it does not state a specific projected growth rate for the critical care nurse professional, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates a 16 percent increase in demand for all nurses. This figure covers all the years through 2024. However, it’s safe to assume that the need for nurses with ICU experience will be even greater in the future.
As mentioned, critically ill and injured people are no longer confined only to hospitals. They need help at home, in community-based programs, at physical therapy facilities, and in a variety of other settings. People who would not have survived even a generation ago often are released from hospitals with complex medical needs that must be managed, sometimes for the remainder of their lives. This demand requires critical care nurses with specialized training and experience to meet the needs.
The nationwide increase in diabetes and other chronic health conditions is another reason behind the expected increase in demand for nurses with critical care experience. Although the critical care nursing position is often stressful and the pace chaotic, professionals who thrive in this role enjoy the satisfaction of helping others improve their quality of life.
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