Critical Care Nurses: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Stan T.Career, OverviewLeave a Comment

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[custom_headline class=”subheading” type=”left” level=”h3″]Job description [/custom_headline]

Critical Care Nurses provide advanced nursing care for patients in critical or coronary care units.

  • 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.
  • Set up and monitor medical equipment and devices such as cardiac monitors, mechanical ventilators and alarms, oxygen delivery devices, transducers, or pressure lines.
  • Administer medications intravenously, by injection, orally, through gastric tubes, or by other methods.
Read more about what does a Critical Care Nurse really do at work and what is it like being and working as one.

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[custom_headline class=”subheading” type=”left” level=”h3″]Salary [/custom_headline]
Average salary
$75510 per year

Average hourly wage
$36 per hour

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Critical Care Nurses with little to no experience tend to make between $50800 and $58770 while the more experienced ones can earn over $88350 per year.

Top 5 paying states Hourly Annual
CA $51 $106,950
HI $47 $98,080
DC $44 $92,350
MA $44 $92,140
OR $44 $91,080

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Critical Care Nurse is to move to a higher paying state like CA. Right now, the highest paying states for Critical Care Nurses are CA, HI, DC, MA and OR.

However, a higher pay at CA doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at CA might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Critical Care Nurse is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.

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[custom_headline class=”subheading” type=”left” level=”h3″] Requirements [/custom_headline]
Recommended degree level
Associate’s degree

We asked other Critical Care Nurses what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had an Associate’s Degree followed by a Bachelor’s Degree.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
Nursing Administration
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing
Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing
Read more about how to become a Critical Care Nurse and the degree, training and education you need.

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[custom_headline class=”subheading” type=”left” level=”h3″] Pros and Cons [/custom_headline]

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Critical Care Nurse.

[icon type=”thumbs-o-up”] PROS
Suitable for people who likes to help and teach others
Suitable for people who values relationships between co-workers and customers and wants to work in a friendly non-competitive environment
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
It is not too difficult to get into this career. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Normal working hours (40 hours per week)
[icon type=”thumbs-o-down”] CONS
Not suitable for people who likes to follow routines

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[custom_headline class=”subheading” type=”left” level=”h3″]What is the job like[/custom_headline]
Job satisfaction
74%

Is this job meaningful
82%

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74% of Critical Care Nurses said they were satisfied with their job and 82% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.

Dr. Jenna Liphart Rhoads

My name is Dr. Jenna Liphart Rhoads. I am a nurse, educator, and writer who has earned a BSN, MS, and Ph.D. in nursing education. My first job as an RN was in an adult surgical/trauma critical care unit at a Level-1 trauma center. My typical day would start as I arrived on the unit … Read More

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[custom_headline class=”subheading” type=”left” level=”h3″]Is this right for me[/custom_headline]
Best personality for this career
The Helpers and The Thinkers

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

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[content_band class=”toc-bottom” border=”all”] [custom_headline type=”left” style=”margin-top: 0;” level=”h4″ looks_like=”h5″]Learn more about Critical Care Nurses[/custom_headline]
[icon type=”home”] Summary (You are here)
[icon type=”list-ul”] Job Description
[icon type=”dollar”] Salary
[icon type=”graduation-cap”] Requirements
[icon type=”heart”] Quiz
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Related career information

Critical Care Nurses job description, Critical Care Nurses salary, Critical Care Nurses information, what is the job of a Critical Care Nurse like, pros and cons about Critical Care Nurses, colleges and universities for Critical Care Nurses, is Critical Care Nurses the right career for me, careers in Healthcare and Medical

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