Acute Care Nurses Go Back to List Provide advanced nursing care for patients with acute conditions such as heart attacks, respiratory distress syndrome, or shock. May care for pre- and post-operative patients or perform advanced, invasive diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.

Technology used in this occupation:
	Medical software

Tasks
	Analyze the indications, contraindications, risk complications, and cost-benefit tradeoffs of therapeutic interventions.
	Diagnose acute or chronic conditions that could result in rapid physiological deterioration or life-threatening instability.
	Distinguish between normal and abnormal developmental and age-related physiological and behavioral changes in acute, critical, and chronic illness.
	Manage patients' pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, monitoring patients' responses, and changing care plans accordingly.
	Interpret information obtained from electrocardiograms (EKGs) or radiographs (x-rays).
	Perform emergency medical procedures, such as basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and other condition stabilizing interventions.
	Assess urgent and emergent health conditions using both physiologically and technologically derived data.
	Adjust settings on patients' assistive devices such as temporary pacemakers.
	Assess the impact of illnesses or injuries on patients' health, function, growth, development, nutrition, sleep, rest, quality of life, or family, social and educational relationships.
	Collaborate with members of multidisciplinary health care teams to plan, manage, or assess patient treatments.

Skills
	Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
	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.
	Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
	Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
	Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
	Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
	Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
	Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
	Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
	Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

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.
	Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
	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.
	Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
	Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
	Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
	Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
	Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

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Education & Training   Education:   Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.   Related Experience:   Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

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Wage Information
	Region Average Entry Level  Mid-Range  Annual  Hourly  Statewide $97,883.00 $47.06  $37.07  $40.57 - $51.45  Bridgeport/Stamford $102,753.00 $49.40  $37.80  $40.98 - $52.57  Danbury $103,366.00 $49.70  $38.66  $41.90 - $52.61  Hartford $94,425.00 $45.40  $36.70  $39.97 - $51.04  New Haven $99,752.00 $47.95  $38.14  $41.22 - $51.04  New London/Norwich $97,353.00 $46.80  $35.88  $39.51 - $52.93  Waterbury $99,046.00 $47.62  $36.83  $40.57 - $52.47  Torrington $89,783.00 $43.17  $35.05  $38.92 - $48.91

Occupation Outlook ( 2016 - 2026 ) Average Annual Job Openings:   1958   Employment in this occupation is expected to grow more slowly than average, but the number of annual openings will offer excellent job opportunities.

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	Some of the occupational information on this page is formulated from O*NETTM v17.0 data. O*NETTM is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.