ICU Nurse Job Description – Close Observation and Extra Care

Part of Team

Usually the ICU nurses would be part of a specialized team in the hospital or clinic that takes care of the patient who are in critical or near fatal conditions. Only highly experienced and proficient registered nurses are made part of the special team as ICU nurses.

ICU Nurse Functions

Basic functions carried out by the ICU nurses are -

•Â Providing adequate care to the patient;

•Â Keeping them under close observation all through;

•Â Educating and supporting the patients family on the care of the patient;

•Â Providing directions and guidance to the licensed practical nurses;

•Â Providing guidance and directions to the nursing assistants in the unit.

ICU Nursing Job Features

Main job of the ICU registered nurses is to provide life support equipments like ventilators as well as the feeding tubes that would function properly supporting the life of the patient. In the process they also observe closely the heart beats, blood pressures and respiratory signals of distress in the patients. Administering IVs, providing medications as well as inserting catheters etc are also the part of their job.

Job Requirements

For being eligible for the job of the ICU nursing, either a two years associate degree, a three year hospital training diploma, or a four year bachelors degree are the basic qualifications. Becoming registered ICU nurse requires passing out the written examination for the certification.

ICU Registered Nurse Certifications

Certification for the ICU nursing career requires voluntary certification as one of the Critical Care Registered Nurses or CCRN from American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Specific amount of clinical practice hours in nursing and passing out a special examination in writing, are requirements for the certification.

Compensations in the Job

ICU nurse job description wont be complete without a reference to the career prospects and compensations. By the end of 2009, registered ICU nurses were drawing around $73,000 on average annually in United States . It is also advisable making career search at some comprehensive and informative career websites online to get the accurate information.

Intensive care unit of any hospital or clinic has been the savior of many lives from time to time and this feat can only be possible with the help of expert physicians and proficient ICU nurses. State university website provides comprehensive information on ICU nurse job description as well as valuable career advice rendered by eminent expert Michael Russell . .