Required education
ASN, BSN, MSN, or DNP
Annual average salary
Higher salary
Earn more by having advanced skills and responsibilities.
Independent
Work on your own or even start your own practice, in some states.
Patient-facing
Work hands-on, directly with patients.
Structured
Follow a routine that allows you to anticipate and prepare for every situation.
Varied
Take on different tasks, patients, and situations every day.
You’ll need to be able to assess patients and make decisions quickly in life or death situations.
What you’ll do
Evaluation
You’ll assess and make decisions about a patient’s condition.
Communication
You’ll explain medical procedures and treatments, and give updates to your patients’ loved ones.
Treatment
You’ll monitor the critical condition of patients, which includes operating life support systems.
Where you’ll work
- Critical care units
- Flight units
- Intensive care units
How to become a Critical Care Nurse
Requirements accepted for becoming a critical care nurse include the following:
01
Get an Associate of Science (ASN), Bachelor of Science (BSN), Master of Science (MSN), or Doctorate in Nursing.
02
Successful completion of the NCLEX Registered Nurse examination (required for state licensing).
03
Individual Institutional requirements may include higher nursing degrees, previous experience, or national nursing certification.
Join an Organization
Become a member of a Critical Care Nurse organization to find career opportunities, learn from your colleagues, and support the profession.
Related Organizations
A Gerontological Nurse Practitioner’s role is also higher salary.
A Travel Nurse is another type of emergency nurse.
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