Alright, so we’ve all binge-watched those medical dramas that have us on the edge of our seats, right? Doctors rushing to code blues, passionately advocating for their patients, and pulling off life-saving procedures like it’s just another day at the office. But guess what? In real life, it’s the critical care nurses who own that scene day in and day out. They’re the true unsung heroes living this intense routine on a daily basis when the cameras aren’t rolling.

And if you’re considering a nursing career in critical care, it is only logical to do your research first! That’s why, in this guide, we’ve covered all bases, from what your day is going to look like to the challenges and rewards of being a critical care nurse, to give you a head-start into your critical care journey. 

What do critical care nurses do?

Critical care nurses work in a variety of settings, from emergency rooms to intensive care units, but they all attend to critically injured patients and use their knowledge and expertise to ensure the best possible recovery path and quality of life these patients. These nurses are specially trained to work in high stress environments to care for patients of all ages with grievous injuries or life-threatening illnesses.

Their duties require a blend of skill, precision, and empathy as they contribute directly to the overall well-being and comfort of critically ill individuals under their care. In the dynamic environment of critical care units, nurses play a crucial role in ensuring that patients receive all the attention and meticulous care that’s necessary to achieve their treatment goals.

On a daily basis, the typical duties of a critical care nurse can include:

• Monitoring patients: Patients in critical care have to be constantly monitored so that their recovery goes according to plan. Even a slight change in patient condition can be a significant development, that’s why critical care nurses are in charge of assessing and monitoring their condition 24/7. Needless to say, you must have a keen eye to notice even the teeniest of changes in patient condition.
• Administering medication: As a critical care nurse, routinely checking patient charts and administering medicines to patients will be a significant part of your daily routine. ICU patients often have complicated health conditions and treating them can require potent medications. That’s why giving them the right medicine at the right time in the correct dosage is important. You will also need to be familiar with administering these medicines through various methods.
• Performing medical procedures: Critical care patients can often need complex medical procedures to be performed on them either routinely or in an emergency. While most critical care nurses assist in these procedures, some states authorize nurses to even perform them. That’s why, depending on your state laws or the specific emergency unit you practice in, you may be required to be familiar with clinical procedures like chest tubes or intubation. For instance, if you’re a flight or transport nurse you may even need a certification specializing in such procedures.
• Responding to emergencies: Most critical care units usually have a 1:1 or 1:2 staff patient ratio, but that doesn’t make it any easier for the nurses on duty. Critical care patients need constant medical attention, and their health can decline at any moment. So, you’ll need to stay alert all the time and be prepared to promptly respond to Code Blues.
• Operating and maintaining life support equipment: Most critical care units come equipped with complicated medical equipment like ventilators and cardiac monitors to make treatments easier. A nurse who knows their way around these machines will definitely be an invaluable part of any critical care team.
• Maintaining patient records: When dealing with critically ill patients, routinely observing and maintaining their charts and records becomes very important for recovery. So, it goes without saying that as a critical care nurse you’d also have to do a fair bit of paperwork. Rest assured, with all the charting, your organizing skills will definitely stay polished!
• Basic patientcare: Critical care nurses often have to perform hands-on patientcare tasks. This includes duties such as replacing IVs, tending to wound dressings, and attending to essential patient hygiene needs. These tasks are key in meeting patient needs and ensuring they’re well looked after. And you as a primary healthcare provider can also use these moments to build a trusting and supportive relationship with your patients.
• Advocating for patients: Patients in critical care are vulnerable, both physically and mentally. And in these circumstances, someone looking out for them with their best interests at heart can truly be a blessing. That’s where you, as a critical care nurse, come into play. And it is well within your responsibilities as the Nurses’ Code of Ethics empowers nurses to advocate for their patients, making sure that patient rights are always respected and their needs take priority.
• Communicating with patients and family: The medical scene can be difficult to navigate for ordinary folks, whether it is dealing with paperwork or understanding treatment plans. So it is up to you as a nurse to guide them through these things and lay it out for them in a manner they can understand and eventually make informed decisions.
• Coordinating with other healthcare staff: In critical care, you’re mainly dealing with patients that have complex conditions that would require the expertise of a diverse set of professionals to get better. That’s why as their nurse, you have to coordinate with everybody from technicians to physicians to ensure that things keep working smoothly like a well-oiled machine. Besides, it’s certainly a bonus that you get so many opportunities for collaboration, which is like a gold mine for networking!

Challenges in critical care

Juggling so many responsibilities is certainly no walk in the park. But on top of all that constant pressure, critical care nurses often find themselves confronting ethical dilemmas, and to navigate these scenarios, they often have to wade through complex moral issues and make critical decisions that can, in turn, cause inevitable distress. Bracing yourself for these challenges beforehand can help you navigate them better and build effective coping habits. These are some of the most common challenges you’d have to face as a critical care nurse:

• Unrelenting schedules: The work hours can be brutal, with fluctuating schedules and long shifts. This means you’d have very little time for self-care. And to add to that, your duties would require you to stay alert for every moment you’re on call as patent conditions can deteriorate any time. Your assigned daily tasks can involve carrying heavy equipment and staying on your feet for long hours. The constant vigilance and physically demanding aspects of this job can lead to physical and mental fatigue in the long run. To counter these effects, you need to build healthy self-care habits like exercising, eating healthy and taking adequate breaks to help you ease the workplace stress.
• Emotional dilemmas: Patients may often choose to make decisions that don’t align with your own beliefs. But with your duty as a nurse, you must honor their rights and advocate for others to comply to them too. In times like these, balancing your personal views and professional duties can be a challenge. In times like these, solidarity from your fellow nurses can go a long way in providing the guidance and support you’d need.
• Exposure to infectious diseases: Critical care nurses may need to treat patients with infectious diseases, especially in severe cases of infection. And in these cases, nurses often face the risk of contracting the disease themselves, despite having proper protocols in place. And to add to that, the harsh sanitizing chemicals cannot be any better for your health either. That’s why you need to develop strict hygiene habits which are necessary to keep yourself and your loved ones protected.
• Exposure to death: Patients in the ICU tend to stay for longer periods and with the hands-on nature of your job it is easy to build an intimacy with them. And watching someone under your care slowly recovering is incredibly fulfilling. But sometimes patients may also pass away and their deaths can have a negative impact on your psyche. It is important that you seek guidance and, if need be, professional help, in handling these circumstances.
• Poor treatment from patients and family: Situations can get pretty tense in the CCU and both patients and families can find themselves under pressure and unable to cope with it. Nurses and other healthcare staff can become a potential target for venting out the pent-up frustration. These incidents can have long-standing psychological impacts on you if you aren’t properly equipped to navigate them.

Consistently working under these conditions without employing proper coping mechanisms can lead to compassion fatigue and burnout, which will eventually degrade your quality of patientcare. Taking care of yourself first is key to being able to take care of others the right way.

Rewards of choosing a critical care career

However, as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining! Despite the challenges, you’d find your critical care journey to be extremely rewarding down the road. There are ups and downs to every career, but in this case, the pros can make your journey well worth the cons.

Throughout your critical care journey, you can look forward to:

• Personal growth: As a hands-on caregiver, you’ll play a crucial role in the recovery journey of your patients. The impact of your actions will be tangible and the fulfilment of making a positive difference in people’s lives is truly unmatched.
• Job satisfaction: As an ICU nurse you’d have to stay updated about the latest trends and technology in the medical field and your expertise would be ever growing. On top of that, your clinical skills too would be fine-tuned with practice, every now and then, making sure you’re always at the peak of your professional game. This can be a great confidence booster and further enhance your job satisfaction.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration: As part of an interdisciplinary team, you will receive tons of opportunities to collaborate with other professionals. This can not only open up networking opportunities but can also help you make better career decisions.
• Advancement opportunities: Critical care nurses are one of the most valued medical professionals in healthcare because of their experience, proficiency and expertise. That’s why you can choose from a diverse pool of roles and specializations when it comes to career advancement.
• Job security: The healthcare sector is currently experiencing a massive shortage of nurses, and with the specific skills required for critical care nursing, the demand for them would only continue to grow. Zippia predicts a 6% job growth for critical care nurses by 2028. So, you can cross off ‘job security’ from the list of concerns as the chances of you being out of a job any time in the near future is fairly low.
• High salaries: Being one of the most in-demand medical professions, critical care nurses receive fairly competitive salaries . Depending on where you’re working, you can rack in anywhere between $73,700 to $97,400 a year! While the numbers do get affected by certifications and experience, the average annual salary is still $84,100.

Over to you

A day in the life of a critical care nurse can be no less dramatic than your favorite medical drama. From working with a demanding schedule to keeping a sharp eye on the patients under your care, the challenges of this role are undeniable. And yet, it’s through these challenges that you can reap the rewards of making a genuine impact in the lives of people who are going through their toughest times. Despite the difficulties, the fulfillment that you’ll achieve, from witnessing the impact of your actions, defines the core ideology of nursing itself.

References:

1. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/ethics/code-of-ethics-for-nurses/
2. https://myhealthcarecareer.net/self-care-habits-for-nurses-to-avoid-burnout/
3. https://myhealthcarecareer.net/guide/nurse-burnout-warning-signs-and-prevention-techniques/
4. https://www.zippia.com/critical-care-nurse-jobs/trends/
5. https://www.salary.com/research/salary/alternate/critical-care-nurse-salary