Critical Care Nurse – Career and Education Profile

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If you enjoy high-pressure situations, critical care nursing might be for you. In this field, you’ll work with the sickest and most unstable patients to provide care.

Job Responsibilities

Critical care nurses work with patients who need immediate attention and continual care. Most commonly, critical care nurses work in emergency rooms and intensive care units at medical facilities, where your tasks will include recording vital signs, administering emergency care, monitoring patient progress, and keeping families updated. Critical care nurses have to be good at identifying which problems are most pressing to best provide care that will keep a patient alive. In this field, you’ll also often simply serve as an extra pair of hands for doctors who are treating patients.

Salary and Career Options

Because this field involves working with patients who are in highly unstable situations, critical care nurses typically earn more money than general RNs. LPNs are rare in this field. You could work in an emergency room or other type of facility caring for all types of patients, but critical care nurses who make the most money often work with a specialized type of patient, such as children. According to reports, critical care nurses make around $50,000 annually, though advance practices nurses in this field average much higher salaries.

Educational Requirements

Because LPNs are rarely used in critical care units, you need at least an associate’s degree to work in this field, with many positions requiring a bachelor’s degree or even master’s degree. Your education will focus on teaching you hold to respond to medical emergencies as quickly as possible, as well as how to perform more general nursing tasks. You’ll complete a combination of traditional classroom lessons and hands-on clinical work before graduating, and can seek certification in critical care if you meet your state’s requirements.

LPN to RN College Programs

With some additional schooling, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) can become a registered nurse (RN), opening doors to more job opportunities and higher salaries. The following is a list of schools with the best online LPN to RN degree programs offered by accredited colleges. You can request information by clicking the college's logo.

LPN to RN (BSN)	Indiana State University—ISU’s LPN to BSN degree program is the only online LPN to RN training program in the United States. LPNs and LVNs who complete this program can earn their NLNAC-approved Bachelor of Science degree in nursing entirely online. Upon completion, graduates should meet all of the prerequisites for becoming an RN. Read an in-depth review of Indiana State University.
LPN to RN LPN to ADN LPN to BSN	The College Network—Earn your LPN to RN (ADN) degree completely online with no campus attendance and no wait list. Learn from the convenience of home at your own pace, and earn an NLNAC-accredited associate’s degree in less time and for less money than traditional campus programs. Read an in-depth review of The College Network.
	Select a subject and degree level, then click "Find My Degree" to browse 100+ online nursing schools offering relevant accredited programs.
BS in Nursing RN to MSN MSN in Nurse Education MSN in Nurse Informatics MSN in Nurse Management	Walden University—Founded in 1970, Walden University is dedicated to providing education for a higher purpose. The Nursing School confers degrees at the bachelor’s and master’s level, which provides further study in health informatics, nursing education, and nursing leadership/management. Walden is one of the biggest providers of online master and doctorate programs with over a hundred degrees offered at each level.
RN to BSN MS in Nursing (MSN) MSN in Adult Health RN to MSN in Nurse Education Accelerated RN to MSN	South University—South University’s College of Nursing offers numerous degree programs for aspiring nurses. Those looking for a BSN degree can enter into the RN to BSN and complete it within 18 months. South also offers the following master’s degree-level programs: MS in Nursing (MSN), MSN in adult health nurse practitioning, MSN in nurse education, and an accelerated RN to MSN.
RN to BSN RN to MSN MSN in Nurse Administration MSN in Nurse Education	Kaplan University—Kaplan University’s RN to BSN and RN to MSN programs feature curriculums that provide registered nurses with the tools to graduate with BSN and MSN degrees. The MSNs in Nurse Administration or Nurse Education feature curriculums that teach methods in management and education in order to prepare students for leadership and educator positions with in the nursing field.