Did you know that Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses are very in demand? This nursing specialty pays well too. In the United States, the average income for a registered ICU is $85.29 per hour. With approximately $12,000 in overtime per year. In comparison to most registered nurses, that is a rather high pay scale. If you are thinking of becoming an ICU nurse, here’s what you need to know.
The Demand For ICU Nurses
Nurse demand is predicted to grow by 16 percent by 2024. This is far faster than the average for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). People are living longer, there are more chronic diseases, and there is a greater emphasis on preventive treatment.
The intensive Care Unit is a difficult and complex field. Nurses in intensive care units (ICUs) use advanced abilities to care for extremely ill patients. If a patient experiences a heart attack, stroke, or another critical medical emergency, an ICU nurse is available to provide urgent treatment. Because of their abilities, they are in high demand.
Education Requirements
Any nursing student interested in ICU nursing should seek a Nursing Student Externship. That is if they have acceptable undergraduate grades and nursing license. The externship is often available to senior nursing students in their final year of study. It allows students to help RNs in the ICU while gaining tremendously from the nurses' experience and guidance. Hospitals frequently publish formal externship programs online. Your college or university will likely offer similar possibilities for nursing students as well. After passing the NCLEX, many Nurse Externs enroll in an RN New Graduate Internship program.
Making the transition to the ICU for experienced RNs usually entails applying for an ICU post. After which, you complete a training program either before or concurrently with the application. These positions and criteria vary per hospital. But they frequently involve a didactic and mentorship component. Students work under the supervision of a senior ICU nurse until the success criteria and leadership in the role are met.
Work Settings
Because of the nature of their work and the fact that they require specialized equipment and resources to care for their patients, hospital networks pool resources. They place an ICU unit (and its nurses) at larger hospitals. Some centralized hospitals, and teaching facilities to maximize the resources available to patients. Transfer agreements exist between hospitals lacking critical care facilities and the closest intensive care unit. Because of the nature of the job, ICU nurses spend practically all of their time in their unit; they don't do much in the way of policy or outreach.
Best Qualities Of An ICU Nurse
Critical care nurses must be skilled in a wide range of advanced nursing techniques. ICU nurses must be experts in assessing intensive care patients, recognizing problems, giving care, and collaborating with other critical care team members. Interpersonal communication, leadership, strategic planning, critical thinking, and decision-making are all skills that successful critical care nurses possess.
ICU nurses also communicate with the families of their patients. Many of them are under severe stress, which is understandable. Their family member is not only seriously ill or injured, but also possibly unresponsive, hooked up to a variety of machines, and surrounded by a variety of medical personnel. It's crucial for an ICU nurse to know how to comfort families while remaining realistic.
Working in the ICU is a rewarding career. If you wish to pursue this career, you can put your extensive training to work caring for severely ill patients who are in high danger of dying.
Find healthcare jobs here: https://jobs.1nurse.com/
Download the App: https://www.1nurse.com/download-qr/
