Critical Care Nurses
What is a Critical Care Nurse?
Critical Care Nurses are specialized healthcare professionals who provide advanced care to patients experiencing life-threatening conditions or severe illnesses. They work in intensive care units (ICUs), emergency departments, and other critical care settings where they are responsible for monitoring the health status of patients, managing complex medical equipment, and administering medications and treatments prescribed by physicians. These nurses are trained to perform detailed assessments, identify potential complications, and implement urgent interventions to stabilize patients. They also play a vital role in emotional support for patients and their families, helping them navigate the challenges of critical health crises. Critical Care Nurses often collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, including physicians, respiratory therapists, and pharmacists, to develop and execute comprehensive care plans tailored to the specific needs of each patient. Their expertise is essential in ensuring positive patient outcomes and enhancing recovery processes in high-pressure environments.
Tasks
- 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.
Technology Skills
- Medical software
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software
- Information retrieval or search software
- Office suite software
- Human resources software
Tools Used
- Medical or surgical suction or vacuum appliances
- Tablet crushers
- Cardiac pacemaker generators or cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers CRT-P
- Diagnostic or interventional vascular catheters for general use
- Nebulizers
Knowledge
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Medicine and Dentistry
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
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Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
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English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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Psychology
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
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Biology
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Skills
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Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
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Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
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Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
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Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
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Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Abilities
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Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
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Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
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Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
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Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
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Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation?
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Bachelor's degree
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Associate's degree
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Master's degree
Work Activities
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Assisting and Caring for Others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
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Getting Information
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
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Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
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Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
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Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Detailed Work Activities
- Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment.
- Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
- Treat medical emergencies.
- Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments.
- Administer intravenous medications.
Work Interests
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Social
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
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Investigative
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
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Realistic
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
Job Outlook
Projected salary and job growth
$63720.0 - $132680.0
This career will grow rapidly in the next few years and will have large numbers of openings.
Assessment
Related assessments and tests
No assessment available.