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Critical Care Nurses
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 (Intensi
What they do
Provide specialized nursing care for patients in critical or coronary care units.
On the job, one would
- Evaluate patients' vital signs or laboratory data to determine emergency intervention needs.
- Monitor patients for changes in status and indications of conditions such as sepsis or shock and institute appropriate interventions.
- Administer medications intravenously, by injection, orally, through gastric tubes, or by other methods.
- Monitor patients' fluid intake and output to detect emerging problems, such as fluid and electrolyte imbalances.
- Prioritize nursing care for assigned critically ill patients, based on assessment data or identified needs.
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.
- Psychology
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
SKILLS
- Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
ABILITIES
- Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
PERSONALITY
People interested in this work, will do well at jobs that need;
- Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
- Concern for Others
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
- Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
- Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
- Analytical Thinking
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
- Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
TECHNOLOGY
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software
- Human resources software
- Information retrieval or search software
- Internet browser software
- Medical software
- Office suite software
- Word processing software
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
- Preparation
Considerable Preparation Needed
- Education
Four-year bachelor degree
- Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupation
- Jobtraining
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.