Critical Care
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Critical care nursing is that specialty within nursing that deals specifically with human responses to life-threatening problems. A critical care nurse is a licensed professional nurse who is responsible for ensuring that acutely and critically ill patients and their families receive optimal care.
Definition of a Critically Ill PatientCritically ill patients are defined as those patients who are at high risk for actual or potential life-threatening health problems. The more critically ill the patient is, the more likely he or she is to be highly vulnerable, unstable and complex, thereby requiring intense and vigilant nursing care.
Number of Critical Care Nurses in the United States According to "The Registered Nurse Population" study conducted in March 2004 by the Department of Health and Human Services, there are 503,124 nurses in the U.S. who care for critically ill patients in a hospital setting.
Of these, 229,914 spend at least half their time in an intensive care unit (ICU); 92,826 spend at least half their time in step-down or transitional care units; 117,637 spend at least half their time in emergency departments; and 62,747 spend at least half their time in post-operative recovery. Critical care nurses account for an estimated 37% of the total number of nurses who work in a hospital setting.
Where Critical Care Nurses WorkAccording to "The Registered Nurse Population" study, 56.2% of all nurses work in a hospital setting, and critical care nurses work wherever critically ill patients are found — intensive care units, pediatric ICUs, neonatal ICUs, cardiac care units, cardiac catheter labs, telemetry units, progressive care units, emergency departments and recovery rooms.
Increasingly, critical care nurses work in home healthcare, managed care organizations, nursing schools, outpatient surgery centers and clinics.
The Roles of Critical Care NursesCritical care nurses work in a wide variety of settings, filling many roles including bedside clinicians, nurse educators, nurse researchers, nurse managers, clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners. With the onset of managed care and the resulting migration of patients to alternative settings, critical care nurses are caring for patients who are more ill than ever before.
Managed care has also fueled a growing demand for advanced practice nurses in the acute care setting. Advanced practice nurses are those who have received advanced education at the master's or doctoral level. In the critical care setting, they are most frequently clinical nurse specialists (CNS) or acute care nurse practitioners (ACNP).
A CNS is an expert clinician in a particular specialty — critical care in this case. The CNS is responsible for the identification, intervention and management of clinical problems to improve care for patients and families. They provide direct patient care, including assessing, diagnosing, planning and prescribing pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment of health problems.
ACNPs in the critical care setting focus on making clinical decisions related to complex patient care. Their activities include risk appraisal, interpretation of diagnostic tests and providing treatment, which may include prescribing medication.
Level of Education for Critical Care NursesTo become a registered nurse (RN), an individual must earn a diploma in nursing, an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) and pass a national licensing exam. Requirements vary as dictated by each state's Board of Nursing.
Many nursing schools offer students exposure to critical care, but most of a critical care nurse's specialty education and orientation is provided by the employer. Advanced practice nurses must earn a degree at the master's or doctoral level.
Critical care nurses will need to keep pace with the latest information and develop skills to manage new treatment methods and technologies. As issues relating to patient care become increasingly complex and new technologies and treatments are introduced, critical care nurses will need to become ever more knowledgeable.
Definition of a Critically Ill PatientCritically ill patients are defined as those patients who are at high risk for actual or potential life-threatening health problems. The more critically ill the patient is, the more likely he or she is to be highly vulnerable, unstable and complex, thereby requiring intense and vigilant nursing care.
Number of Critical Care Nurses in the United States According to "The Registered Nurse Population" study conducted in March 2004 by the Department of Health and Human Services, there are 503,124 nurses in the U.S. who care for critically ill patients in a hospital setting.
Of these, 229,914 spend at least half their time in an intensive care unit (ICU); 92,826 spend at least half their time in step-down or transitional care units; 117,637 spend at least half their time in emergency departments; and 62,747 spend at least half their time in post-operative recovery. Critical care nurses account for an estimated 37% of the total number of nurses who work in a hospital setting.
Where Critical Care Nurses WorkAccording to "The Registered Nurse Population" study, 56.2% of all nurses work in a hospital setting, and critical care nurses work wherever critically ill patients are found — intensive care units, pediatric ICUs, neonatal ICUs, cardiac care units, cardiac catheter labs, telemetry units, progressive care units, emergency departments and recovery rooms.
Increasingly, critical care nurses work in home healthcare, managed care organizations, nursing schools, outpatient surgery centers and clinics.
The Roles of Critical Care NursesCritical care nurses work in a wide variety of settings, filling many roles including bedside clinicians, nurse educators, nurse researchers, nurse managers, clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners. With the onset of managed care and the resulting migration of patients to alternative settings, critical care nurses are caring for patients who are more ill than ever before.
Managed care has also fueled a growing demand for advanced practice nurses in the acute care setting. Advanced practice nurses are those who have received advanced education at the master's or doctoral level. In the critical care setting, they are most frequently clinical nurse specialists (CNS) or acute care nurse practitioners (ACNP).
A CNS is an expert clinician in a particular specialty — critical care in this case. The CNS is responsible for the identification, intervention and management of clinical problems to improve care for patients and families. They provide direct patient care, including assessing, diagnosing, planning and prescribing pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment of health problems.
ACNPs in the critical care setting focus on making clinical decisions related to complex patient care. Their activities include risk appraisal, interpretation of diagnostic tests and providing treatment, which may include prescribing medication.
Level of Education for Critical Care NursesTo become a registered nurse (RN), an individual must earn a diploma in nursing, an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) and pass a national licensing exam. Requirements vary as dictated by each state's Board of Nursing.
Many nursing schools offer students exposure to critical care, but most of a critical care nurse's specialty education and orientation is provided by the employer. Advanced practice nurses must earn a degree at the master's or doctoral level.
Critical care nurses will need to keep pace with the latest information and develop skills to manage new treatment methods and technologies. As issues relating to patient care become increasingly complex and new technologies and treatments are introduced, critical care nurses will need to become ever more knowledgeable.