Critical Care Nurses

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Career Profile

Critical Care Nurses

What they do

Provide specialized nursing care for patients in critical or coronary care units.

Also Called: Certified Critical Care Nurse, Critical Care Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN), ICU Critical Care NP (Intensive Care Unit Critical Care Nurse Practitioner), ICU Nurse (Intensive Care Unit Nurse), Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse (ICU RN), Newborn ICU RN (Newborn Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse), Nurse, Pediatric Critical Care Nurse Practitioner, Staff Nurse, Certified Critical Care Nurse, Critical Care Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN), ICU Critical Care NP (Intensive Care Unit Critical Care Nurse Practitioner), ICU Nurse (Intensive Care Unit Nurse), Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse (ICU RN), Newborn ICU RN (Newborn Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse), Nurse, Pediatric Critical Care Nurse Practitioner, Staff Nurse

Job Data & Employment

*National data provided by O*NET & BLS
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$68,940
Starting Salary (2025)
$97,550
Median Salary (2025)
4.9%
Projected Job Growth
3,379,720
Employment (2025)

Typical Tasks

Administer blood and blood products, monitoring patients for signs and symptoms related to transfusion reactions.
Advocate for patients' and families' needs, or provide emotional support for patients and their families.
Assess family adaptation levels and coping skills to determine whether intervention is needed.
Assess patients' pain levels or sedation requirements.
Assess patients' psychosocial status and needs, including areas such as sleep patterns, anxiety, grief, anger, and support systems.

What kind of work is this?

Social
Working with people
Investigative
Studying, Research based work
Realistic
Practical, Physical Work

What personality traits do you need to succeed?

Attention to Detail
Integrity
Dependability
Stress Tolerance
Concern for Others
Cooperation

What key skills are needed for this job?

Monitoring
Active Listening
Service Orientation
Social Perceptiveness
Speaking
Reading Comprehension

Expected Knowledge

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.
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.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Common Activities

Assisting and Caring for Others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Getting Information
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Education & Preparation

Some occupations may require additional education, advanced degrees, and years of experience in the field.
Talk to your support team on campus about this career pathway and additional degree information.
Job Zone 4

Considerable Preparation Needed

Education

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Experience

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.

Training

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Typical Education Required

Education a new hire may need

  • Bachelor's degree 50%
  • Associate's degree 36%
  • Master's degree 11%
  • Post-master's certificate 4%
Source: O*NET Education, Training & Experience data

Related Careers

Acute Care Nurses
Clinical Nurse Specialists
Registered Nurses
Nurse Practitioners
Paramedics

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*Data on career profiles are based on information supplied by the O*NET Program, sponsored by U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration.