What is an ICU Nurse?

Nurses working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) are responsible for caring for some of the most unstable and critically ill patients in a hospital setting. 

Because of the patient acuity, ICU nurses are often assigned to only one or two patients so they can provide the best level of care that is possible. Patients may be affected by strokes, heart attacks, car accidents or any other myriad of causes that result in admission to the intensive care unit. 

An ICU nurse resume will include many different clinical skills and responsibilities, and they provide care in both emergency and long-term care situations. Sometimes, an ER nurse vs. ICU nurse can become confusing because of this fact. For the most part, ER nurses work in the emergency department and ICU nursing takes place in the ICU or critical care unit. ICU nurses are also known as critical-care nurses and/or pediatric ICU nurses (PICU) and ICU nurse jobs can be found in hospitals and medical centers across the country.

Life of an ICU Nurse

You’ve learned about the skills and qualifications of an ICU nurse, but now you’re probably asking, “What does an ICU nurse do?” ICU nurse responsibilities will vary depending on the setting, but there are some core clinical responsibilities that will not change that much from setting to setting. 

As an ICU nurse you can expect to administer meds and check your patients’ vital signs regularly. Because of the critical nature of ICU patients, you may need to perform these tasks quite often. You can also expect to care for a patient's hygiene, since many times the patients in the ICU cannot move or are intubated. 

As an ICU nurse, you will also perform therapeutic and/or diagnostic exams and complete paperwork and patient charting. As an ICU nurse, you can expect to work closely with an interdisciplinary care team that includes doctors, interventionists, other nurses and many more healthcare professionals that work in the ICU. 

Why Travel as an ICU Nurse 

According to Travelnursing.com, travel nurses have the ability to earn about 15 percent more than staff nurses! That kind of earning potential is very exciting for ICU nurses. 

But it’s not all about the money. Travel nurses have the opportunity to enjoy all sorts of other exciting benefits and housing is free! They get medical and dental coverage, license reimbursement in some cases, 401(k) and so much more. 

Are you interested in learning more about becoming an ICU travel nurse? Find out the benefits and fill out an application online.

Read More About ICU Travel Nursing Salary and Requirements from the link below.