Acute Care Nurses: Career Profile
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.
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What Tasks Do Acute Care Nurses Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of acute care nurses cover:
- Discuss illnesses and treatments with patients and family members.
- Diagnose acute or chronic conditions that could result in rapid physiological deterioration or life-threatening instability.
- 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.
- Set up, operate, or monitor invasive equipment and devices, such as colostomy or tracheotomy equipment, mechanical ventilators, catheters, gastrointestinal tubes, and central lines.
- Document data related to patients' care, including assessment results, interventions, medications, patient responses, or treatment changes.
- Administer blood and blood product transfusions or intravenous infusions, monitoring patients for adverse reactions.
- Interpret information obtained from electrocardiograms (EKGs) or radiographs (x-rays).
Skills and Knowledge
Effective acute care nurses rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Acute Care Nurses Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Acute Care Nurse
- Admission Nurse
- Admission Nurse Coordinator
- Cardiac Interventional Care Nurse
- Cardiovascular ICU Nurse (Cardiovascular Intense Care Unit Nurse)
- Cardiovascular Surgery Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (Cardiovascular Surgery ACNP)
- Care Transitions Manager
- Care Transitions Nurse
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 183,918 acute care nurses working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +4.1% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Acute Care Nurses Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $56,247 |
| Hourly median | $27.04 |
| 10th percentile | $40,261 |
| 25th percentile | $48,254 |
| 75th percentile | $64,241 |
| 90th percentile | $72,234 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Acute Care Nurses Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $140,330 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 |
| Oregon | $123,990 |
| Washington | $112,180 |
| Alaska | $110,690 |
| New York | $105,600 |
| District of Columbia | $104,550 |
| New Jersey | $102,730 |
| Nevada | $101,990 |
| Massachusetts | $101,970 |
| Connecticut | $101,590 |
| Minnesota | $100,870 |
| Rhode Island | $99,960 |
| Arizona | $96,890 |
| Maryland | $96,830 |
| New Hampshire | $96,830 |
| Colorado | $96,520 |
| Delaware | $92,610 |
| Texas | $90,010 |
| Virginia | $88,820 |
| New Mexico | $88,260 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,610 |
| Georgia | $86,560 |
| Illinois | $86,410 |
| Idaho | $86,100 |
| Wisconsin | $86,070 |
| Michigan | $85,670 |
| Vermont | $85,150 |
| Maine | $82,860 |
| Florida | $82,850 |
| Utah | $82,270 |
| North Carolina | $81,860 |
| Wyoming | $81,790 |
| Montana | $81,560 |
| Ohio | $81,250 |
| Oklahoma | $81,160 |
| Nebraska | $81,020 |
| Indiana | $80,740 |
| West Virginia | $79,990 |
| Kentucky | $79,910 |
| South Carolina | $79,900 |
| Missouri | $79,770 |
| Tennessee | $79,030 |
| Louisiana | $78,880 |
| North Dakota | $78,260 |
| Kansas | $78,060 |
| Arkansas | $77,130 |
| Iowa | $76,960 |
| Mississippi | $74,470 |
| Virgin Islands | $73,890 |
| Alabama | $71,040 |
| South Dakota | $69,510 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,780 |
Where Acute Care Nurses Earn the Most
Earnings for acute care nurses differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $132,415 | 14.5% | 0.87 |
| New England | $98,890 | 5.4% | 1.14 |
| Middle Atlantic | $98,793 | 15.7% | 1.04 |
| Southwest | $90,333 | 11.4% | 0.91 |
| Rocky Mountains | $89,709 | 3.3% | 0.84 |
| Great Lakes | $84,078 | 15.6% | 1.10 |
| Plains States | $84,012 | 7.7% | 1.13 |
| Southeast | $81,528 | 25.6% | 1.05 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Acute Care Nurses
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $208,940 | 21,460 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $192,470 | 4,410 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $188,020 | 40,750 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | CA | $178,900 | 1,610 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $172,390 | 3,770 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $169,460 | 5,260 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $169,210 | 23,400 |
| Yuba City, CA | CA | $144,220 | 1,070 |
Top Industries Employing Acute Care Nurses
The largest employers of acute care nurses are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,790,380 | $93,170 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 134,180 | $95,870 |
| Educational Services | 89,070 | $74,360 |
| Finance and Insurance | 48,100 | $89,650 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 21,530 | $95,070 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 14,310 | $96,360 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 4,750 | $80,060 |
| Retail Trade | 4,500 | $94,880 |
Acute Care Nurses work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Medical software: eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Teams (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for acute care nurses tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Exposed to Disease or Infections
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How to Become Acute Care Nurses
Most acute care nurses positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Respiratory Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Registered Nurses (Primary-Short)
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses (Primary-Short)
- Critical Care Nurses (Primary-Short)
- Clinical Nurse Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Nurse Anesthetists (Supplemental)
- Nurse Midwives (Primary-Long)
- Nurse Practitioners (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Students preparing for acute care nurses commonly pursue programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
21 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-1141.01 (Registered Nurses).
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