Occupation · SOC 29-1141.01
Acute Care Nurses
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.
Median wage
$93,600
$66,030–$135,320
Projected growth
+4.9%
Average growth
Annual openings
16,610
per year
Employed (US)
3,282,010
Job Zone 4
Typical preparation
Considerable preparation
Stackable credential programs
1,737 mapped
Core skills
SpeakingSocial PerceptivenessService OrientationReading ComprehensionMonitoringCritical ThinkingActive ListeningJudgment and Decision MakingCoordinationComplex Problem SolvingActive LearningWritingInstructingTime ManagementLearning StrategiesSystems EvaluationSystems AnalysisSciencePersuasionOperations MonitoringNegotiationManagement of Personnel ResourcesOperation and ControlMathematicsOperations AnalysisQuality Control AnalysisManagement of Material ResourcesTroubleshootingTechnology DesignManagement of Financial ResourcesEquipment SelectionProgrammingRepairingInstallationEquipment Maintenance
Knowledge areas
Medicine and DentistryCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageEducation and TrainingPsychologyTherapy and CounselingMathematicsBiologySociology and AnthropologyPublic Safety and SecurityAdministration and ManagementChemistryAdministrativeComputers and ElectronicsPhilosophy and TheologyLaw and GovernmentPersonnel and Human ResourcesForeign LanguageCommunications and MediaTelecommunicationsPhysicsSales and MarketingProduction and ProcessingMechanicalEngineering and TechnologyEconomics and AccountingTransportationHistory and ArcheologyGeographyDesignFood ProductionFine ArtsBuilding and Construction
Technology & tools
Allscripts Professional EHRAmkai AmkaiChartsBizmatics PrognoCIS EMRCerner MillenniumChartWare EMRGE Healthcare Centricity EMRIBM Lotus NotesMedscribbler EnterpriseMicroFour PracticeStudio.NET EMRMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft TeamsMicrosoft WordNextGen Healthcare Information Systems EMRSAP softwareSOAPware EMRStatCom Patient Flow Logistics Enterprise SuiteSynaMed EMRTexas Medical Software SpringCharts EMRe-MDs softwareeClinicalWorks EHR software
Representative tasks
Documenting/Recording InformationAssisting and Caring for OthersGetting InformationCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsWorking with ComputersEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeDeveloping and Building TeamsPerforming General Physical ActivitiesMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsHandling and Moving ObjectsInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersTraining and Teaching OthersResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersProcessing InformationGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersCoaching and Developing OthersAnalyzing Data or InformationScheduling Work and ActivitiesThinking CreativelyStaffing Organizational UnitsJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesControlling Machines and ProcessesPerforming Administrative ActivitiesCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationSelling or Influencing OthersOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Patient health status data — collect and document using established protocols under direct RN supervision in an acute care unit.Illness explanations and treatment overviews — communicate to patients and family members using approved scripts and visual aids under charge nurse guidance.Electronic health record entries — input assessment results, medications, and intervention notes accurately under direct supervision in a hospital documentation system.Basic cardiac life support (BLS) procedures — perform according to certification standards under direct supervision during supervised clinical rotations in an acute care setting.Vital signs and physiological measurements — obtain and report to supervising nurses using standard monitoring equipment on a medical-surgical floor.Intravenous infusion setups — assist with preparation and initiation under the direct oversight of an experienced RN in an acute care environment.Electrocardiogram tracings — recognize normal sinus rhythm and flag obvious abnormalities for senior nurse review in a monitored inpatient unit.Medical software and electronic mail tools — use to retrieve patient records and communicate care updates under the direction of unit leadership.Acute patient deterioration indicators — identify early warning signs and escalate immediately to supervising clinical staff in a telemetry or step-down unit.Standard precaution and safety protocols — apply consistently when handling blood products and intravenous lines under supervision in an acute hospital environment.
developing
Acute and chronic condition assessments — conduct systematically using physiological and technology-derived data with moderate oversight in a general acute care unit.Patient and family illness discussions — facilitate independently, tailoring communication to health literacy levels encountered on a busy medical-surgical floor.Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) interventions — execute competently during code situations with minimal prompting in an acute or critical care environment.Invasive device management — set up, operate, and monitor catheters, gastrointestinal tubes, and central lines with routine supervision in an ICU or step-down unit.Blood and blood product transfusions — administer and monitor for adverse reactions, adjusting infusion rates according to protocol in an acute inpatient setting.EKG rhythm strips — interpret common arrhythmias and initiate appropriate nursing responses with limited guidance in a cardiac monitoring unit.Complex patient care documentation — complete assessment findings, patient responses, and treatment changes accurately and promptly in an electronic health record system.Radiograph findings — review and identify common abnormalities relevant to nursing care decisions, consulting with physicians as needed in an acute hospital environment.Time-sensitive clinical priorities — coordinate across multiple patients simultaneously using structured time management strategies on a high-acuity nursing floor.Mechanical ventilator settings — monitor and report parameter changes to the respiratory therapy and medical team in a critical care or post-surgical unit.
proficient
Rapid physiological deterioration — diagnose acute and chronic conditions independently and initiate life-stabilizing interventions before physician arrival in a critical care environment.Comprehensive urgent and emergent health assessments — perform autonomously integrating clinical intuition, monitoring technology, and laboratory data across diverse patient populations in a tertiary acute care center.Full scope emergency procedures — lead BLS and ACLS responses, directing code team roles and communicating clinical status to physicians during high-stakes resuscitation events.Tracheotomy and colostomy equipment, mechanical ventilators, and central line systems — manage the full lifecycle of setup, troubleshooting, and optimization without supervision in an ICU setting.Adverse transfusion reactions — recognize, intervene, and document complex cases autonomously, escalating appropriately within hospital transfusion management protocols.Diagnostic imaging and EKG interpretation — analyze findings independently to inform urgent nursing care decisions and collaborate with the interdisciplinary team in an acute hospital setting.Non-routine patient and family counseling — navigate sensitive illness disclosures, treatment conflicts, and emotional crises using advanced therapeutic communication skills in an acute care context.Clinical documentation integrity — ensure accuracy, completeness, and regulatory compliance of patient records across an assigned caseload using enterprise-level health information systems.Complex problem-solving in deteriorating patients — apply deductive and inductive reasoning to synthesize ambiguous clinical data and determine priority interventions in a fast-paced acute care unit.Multidisciplinary care coordination — lead daily patient-centered rounds, aligning nursing, pharmacy, therapy, and social work efforts in a high-acuity hospital environment.
advanced
Unit-wide clinical standards — develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based nursing protocols that govern acute care practice across an entire inpatient department or system.Staff competency development — design and lead simulation-based training programs for BLS, ACLS, and invasive device management, elevating the skill level of nursing teams across a hospital system.Organizational patient safety strategy — lead root-cause analyses and quality improvement initiatives in response to adverse events, influencing policy at the department or executive level.Emerging clinical technology adoption — evaluate, pilot, and champion new monitoring systems and medical software implementations, guiding acute care teams through workflow transitions.Complex ethical and clinical dilemmas — guide multidisciplinary teams and families through end-of-life decisions, treatment conflicts, and resource allocation challenges at an organizational level.Nurse mentorship pipelines — establish structured preceptorship and career-progression frameworks that retain and advance clinical talent within an acute care institution.Cross-departmental coordination — lead hospital-wide responses to surge events, mass casualty incidents, or infectious outbreaks, applying systems evaluation skills to optimize patient flow and staffing.Regulatory compliance and accreditation readiness — oversee documentation practices, audit outcomes, and corrective action plans to maintain Joint Commission or equivalent standards across nursing units.Clinical learning strategies — direct continuing education curricula and evidence-based practice initiatives that translate current research into measurable improvements in acute care patient outcomes.Strategic resource planning — advise hospital leadership on staffing models, budget allocation, and technology investments required to sustain high-quality acute nursing care at an enterprise scale.
Also known as
27 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Acute Care NurseAdmission NurseAdmission Nurse CoordinatorCardiac Interventional Care NurseCardiovascular ICU Nurse (Cardiovascular Intense Care Unit Nurse)Cardiovascular Surgery Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (Cardiovascular Surgery ACNP)Care Transitions ManagerCare Transitions NurseCharge NurseChronic Condition NurseDSU Nurse (Day Surgery Unit Nurse)ICU RN (Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse)ICU Travel RN (Intensive Care Unit Travel Registered Nurse)MSN (Medical Surgical Nurse)NursePACU RN (Post Anesthesia Care Unit Registered Nurse)PACU Travel RN (Post Anesthesia Care Unit Travel Registered Nurse)PCU RN (Progressive Care Unit Registered Nurse)Pediatric Acute Care Unit NursePost-Op RN (Postoperative Registered Nurse)Pre-Op RN (Preoperative Registered Nurse)Progressive Care RN (Progressive Care Registered Nurse)Screening Unit RN (Screening Unit Registered Nurse)Staff NurseStep Down RN (Step Down Registered Nurse)Telemetry RN (Telemetry Registered Nurse)Vascular Access Registered Nurse (Vascular Access RN)