If you are the type of individual who can think on your feet and deal with life-and-death situations every day, a career in critical care nursing might be for you. This nursing specialty places professionals in a hospital setting to oversee the care of patients who are in critical conditions, typically in an intensive care unit, an emergency room setting, or in post-operative recovery rooms. Whether they are dealing with a catastrophic accident or a prognosis that isn’t very positive, these patients and their families require a special kind of health care provider.
What Does a Critical Care Nurse Do?
Like many types of nurses, critical care providers act as the bridge between the patient and the larger health care setting. Vigilant daily care, medication dispensation, monitoring vitals, and charting make up the bulk of the day’s activities. They are complimented by patient advocacy, support to family members, and patient education—especially regarding end-of-life, living will, and organ donation issues. These professionals might also be called on to participate in a team setting to make decisions regarding the patient’s options and outcomes.
Critical Care Nursing Education
At the basic level, critical care nurses must be licensed RNs with either an Associate degree or a Bachelors degree. Further certification in critical care nursing isn’t required, but it can boost your career and open more employment doors.
Certification in critical care nursing is offered through the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, which requires two years of direct experience working in a critical care capacity as well as a passing score on the exam and regular continuing education credits.
Additional opportunities exist for nurses who are willing to return to school to get a Master’s degree in nursing or attend a BSN-to-MSN program. With this higher level of education, the nurse can become a clinical nurse specialist and take on a more supervisory and case management role for patients in critical care conditions.
Nursing Specialties for the Future
Because of the nature of the job and the job setting, critical care nurses work with some of the most advanced technology available in the hospital setting—and for good reason. Patients who might not have survived their injuries and illnesses even five years ago now have more options for both short- and long-term care thanks to medical advances.
That’s why any nurse or nursing student interested in this field should always be looking ahead. If you can handle the stress of critically care patients and their families, and you’re excited about health care technology and what it means for the future, critical care nursing and advocacy could be a perfect fit.
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Video: A Day in the Life of a Critical Care Nurse
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