Career Overview
Provide specialized nursing care for patients in critical or coronary care units.
Also Known As
- Critical Care Nurse Practitioner
- Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)
- ICU Nurse (Intensive Care Unit Nurse)
- Staff Nurse
Alternate Job Titles
- CCU RN (Cardiac Care Unit Registered Nurse)
- CCU RN (Coronary Care Unit Registered Nurse)
- CCU RN (Critical Care Unit Registered Nurse)
- Certified Critical Care Nurse
- Critical Care Nurse (CCN)
- Critical Care Nurse Practitioner
- Critical Care Nurse Specialist
- Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)
- Critical Care Unit Nurse
- CVICU RN (Cardiac ICU Registered Nurse)
- CVICU RN (Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse)
- ER RN (Emergency Room Registered Nurse)
- ICU Critical Care NP (Intensive Care Unit Critical Care Nurse Practitioner)
- ICU Nurse (Intensive Care Unit Nurse)
- ICU Travel RN (Intensive Care Unit Travel Registered Nurse)
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Evaluate patients' vital signs or laboratory data to determine emergency intervention needs.
- Monitor patients for changes in status and indications of conditions such as sepsis or shock and institute appropriate interventions.
- Administer medications intravenously, by injection, orally, through gastric tubes, or by other methods.
- Monitor patients' fluid intake and output to detect emerging problems, such as fluid and electrolyte imbalances.
- Prioritize nursing care for assigned critically ill patients, based on assessment data or identified needs.
- Compile and analyze data obtained from monitoring or diagnostic tests.
- Conduct pulmonary assessments to identify abnormal respiratory patterns or breathing sounds that indicate problems.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- Psychology
- English Language
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Therapy and Counseling
- Education and Training
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
- Active Learning
- Coordination
- Complex Problem Solving
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Speech Recognition
- Inductive Reasoning
- Deductive Reasoning
- Speech Clarity
- Oral Expression
- Written Expression
- Information Ordering
- Near Vision
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Stress Tolerance
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cooperation
- Self-Control
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Relationships
- Support
- Achievement
- Independence
- Recognition
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree
On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months
Education Details: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Experience Required: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Epic Systems
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft SharePoint
Tools & Equipment
- Angiocaths
- Apnea monitors
- Arterial blood gas testing equipment
- Arterial line catheters
- Automated external defibrillators AED
- Automated medicine dispensing equipment
- Autotransfusion systems
- Bed scales
- Bedpans
- Bilevel positive airway pressure BiPAP ventilators
- Blood drawing syringes
- Blood glucometers
- Blood pressure monitors
- Blood warming equipment
- Bulb syringes
Work Environment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Exposed to Disease or Infections
- Telephone Conversations
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Consequence of Error
Salary & Job Market
Wages reported for the broader Registered Nurses occupational group (BLS 2024), which includes Critical Care Nurses.
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $66,030 |
| Median | $93,600 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $135,320 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 3,282,010
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Acute Care Nurses
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $93,600
Registered Nurses
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $93,600
Nurse Practitioners
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $129,210
Clinical Nurse Specialists
Education: Master's Degree
Median Salary: $93,600
Paramedics
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: $58,410
Is This Career Right for You?
Discover your perfect career match with our free comprehensive assessment! Get personalized recommendations based on your interests, skills, and values.
Take the Free Career Assessment →
Want Personalized Guidance?
For customized career recommendations, college selection strategies, and expert application support, explore the MehtA+ Admissions Consulting Program. We help students identify the right opportunities and navigate the path to achieving their academic and career goals.
Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.