Critical Care Nurse

How to Become a Critical Care Nurse in 2025

The critical care nurse is the nurse that you don’t necessarily want to meet, but you’ll be glad he or she is there if you need their care. These nurses take care of patients on the worst day of their lives – after having a heart attack, a stroke, being in a motor vehicle accident, or after a surgery that didn’t go as well as planned. These nurses must be the best of the best – their patients’ lives depend on it.

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts, the profession of critical care nursing is expected to experience a healthy growth rate. This specialized arm of nursing, poised at the vanguard of healthcare, is crucial in managing the most severely ill patients.

Several factors conspire to promote this upward trend. Primary among them is the ballooning demographic of the aging population. As this sector expands, an associated surge in healthcare services is inevitable. Hospitalization rates are typically higher among older individuals, precipitating a heightened demand for critical care. Recent medical advancements also play a role, increasing survival rates and, consequently, the need for intensive post-illness care.

Critical Care Nurse Overview

What You Will Do: As a critical care nurse, your responsibilities will center on providing care for the most gravely ill patients, often in intensive care units. You will monitor patients, administer medication, consult with other healthcare professionals, and provide emotional support to patients and their families.

Where Will You Work: A majority of critical care nurses work in hospitals’ Intensive Care Units (ICUs). However, opportunities also exist in home healthcare services and outpatient care centers.

Employment Projections: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects steady growth in the demand for critical care nurses. As the population ages, and as medical advancements prolong lives, the need for highly skilled critical care nurses is anticipated to rise.

How Much Will I Earn: The earning potential for critical care nurses varies based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and level of education. The median pay for registered nurses was approximately $73,300 per year. Critical care nurses, due to their specialized skills, may earn more than the median wage for general registered nurses.

Steps to Become a Critical Care Nurse

1. Earn Your RN: Begin your journey to becoming a critical care nurse by obtaining your Registered Nurse (RN) degree. This can be achieved through either an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
2. Pass the NCLEX-RN Exam: Following your nursing education, you are required to pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) in order to practice as an RN.
3. Specialize in Critical Care Nursing: Upon becoming an RN, the next step is to specialize in critical care nursing. This usually entails gaining experience in a critical care setting and may require additional training or education.
4. Obtain Nursing Certification: Finally, to officially establish your skills in critical care nursing, it’s recommended to earn a certification from a recognized body such as the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). Certification options may include the Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) credential.

What is a Critical Care Nurse?

A critical care RN is a nurse who is employed in critical care areas. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) states that the critical care RN may work in a variety of areas, such as “…intensive care units, pediatric ICUs, neonatal ICUs, cardiac care units, cardiac catheter labs, telemetry units, progressive care units, emergency departments and recovery rooms.”

These nurses obviously take care of critically care patients, which the AACN defines 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.”

What Does a Critical Care Nurse Do?

The day-to-day duties of the critical RN will vary each day, depending on their patient load. For example, the ICU nurse may one day have one patient who has just returned from coronary artery bypass grafting; this patient will require extensive monitoring of their blood pressure, blood glucose, temperature, ventilator settings and respiratory status, arterial lines and CVP pressure.

The following day the same nurse may have a patient load of less critically ill patients, such as that same open heart surgery patient who has now been extubated and had extraneous lines removed, and a patient who had a heart attack but has had successful placement of stents in their heart. Basically, the critical care RN must be ready to care for any type of critically ill patient on a day-to-day basis.

How Do I Become a Critical Care Nurse?

Typically, an ADN degree is the minimum requirement for a position as a critical care RN, although this may vary from institution to institution. Some intensive care units will hire new graduates and train them extensively. Many facilities are offering critical care internships (CCI) in their ICUs or NICUs. For example, UP Health System – Marquette has a CCI program that lasts 12-16 weeks. It is a paid program with benefits. Clinical experiences and classroom education is used. Upon completion of the program, the interns are ready for a career as a critical care RN, and must commit a certain amount of hours to a critical care area in the facility. Research related Medical-Surgical Nursing, OR Nursing and ER Nursing, careers.

What is the Job Outlook for a Critical Care Nurse?

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts, the profession of critical care nursing is expected to experience a healthy growth rate. This specialized arm of nursing, poised at the vanguard of healthcare, is crucial in managing the most severely ill patients.

Several factors conspire to promote this upward trend. Primary among them is the ballooning demographic of the aging population. As this sector expands, an associated surge in healthcare services is inevitable. Hospitalization rates are typically higher among older individuals, precipitating a heightened demand for critical care. Recent medical advancements also play a role, increasing survival rates and, consequently, the need for intensive post-illness care.

Please note, this is based on data available up until September 2021. For more current projections, a consultation of updated resources or pertinent professional organizations, such as the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses or the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is recommended.

How Much Can I Expect to Make as a Critical Care RN?

The salary for a Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) can vary widely depending on several factors such as geographic location, years of experience, level of education, and the specific institution of employment. As of the last update in my training data in September 2021, the median annual wage for registered nurses in the United States was about $73,300, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

However, critical care nurses often earn more than the median wage for registered nurses due to the specialized skills and knowledge required for the job. It’s not uncommon for Critical Care RNs to earn salaries in the higher end of the nursing wage scale, but specific salary data may vary.

For the most accurate and updated salary information, it would be best to consult more recent resources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or our salary guide that collates 4 different resources for nursing salary information.