ICU Nurse: In-Demand Specialty for Travel Nursing Jobs

ICU nurses work directly with an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals to provide critical care to a hospital’s most unstable patients.

The United States is facing a projected shortage of registered nurses and the need for Intensive Care Unit nurses may be even greater than for those in other specialty areas, as there is an expectation that the aging population will place even greater demands on Intensive Care Units around the country. As a result, it is anticipated that travel ICU nurses will be essential to the way that acute care hospitals manage ICU capacity strain .

ICU travel nurses can earn up to $2,300 a week! Speak to a recruiter today!

What is an ICU Nurse?

ICU nurses are part of the hospital’s critical care team working with the most acute, unstable patients. Because these patients have such demanding care needs, ICU nurses are generally assigned no more than three patients at a time and are frequently assigned 12-hour shifts in order to cut down on caregiver changes.

ICU nurses must have strong critical thinking, leadership and communication skills. They need to carry out procedures while at the same time accommodating the needs of patients and family members. ICU nurses act as advocates and educators as well as caregivers.

Patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) are considered medically unstable. Many transfer from the ER, while others come from other departments within the acute care setting like surgery.

ICU nurses are registered nurses who evaluate and monitor patient conditions, administer treatment and provide constant support. Their responsibilities include:

  • Creating and implementing effective care plans
  • Identifying both sudden and subtle changes in their patient’s condition
  • Communicating with physicians, other staff members, and family members
  • Responding to medical emergencies
  • Maintaining patient records
  • Managing medication doses

There are a wide range of medical needs and patient types that require intensive care. ICU nurses can specialize in specific areas such as pediatrics, neonatology, neurology, cardiology, and trauma.

No matter the specialty area, there are specific skills and characteristics that ICU nurses of all types must share. The most obvious are technical skills such as ventilator support, inserting a central line and assessing neurological status.

ICU nurses require a high level of skill and knowledge, and their considerable talents are highly portable. This makes ICU travel nurses extremely valuable to acute care hospitals facing nursing shortages.

ICU nurses must be team players who work well with physicians and other members of the healthcare team to provide patient care, while also having the ability to inform and educate patients and their family members — managing and supporting their expectations and emotions on top of that.

ICU Nurse Salary and Job Growth Potential

ICU nursing is one of the seven highest-paid nursing specialties for registered nurses. According to Indeed.com, the average salary for an ICU nurse in the United States is $138,909.

The average salary for an ICU nurse in the United States is $138,909.

Not only are ICU nurses well compensated, but they are very much in demand. The job growth potential for this high-intensity, high-responsibility role is likely to grow substantially when considering the national nursing shortage and increased use of intensive care units .

As hospitals work to continue providing high-quality care in the face of strained capacity , they will continue to seek more qualified ICU RNs to meet their staffing needs.

Top Paying Cities for ICU Nurses in 2021

According to Indeed.com , here are the best paying cities for ICU nurses in 2021:

  • Los Angeles, CA: $161,204 per year
  • Orlando, FL: $153,170 per year
  • San Antonio, TX: $140,400 per year
  • Philadelphia, PA: $140,325 per year
  • Miami, FL: $135,500 per year

Click here to discover available ICU travel nurse assignments!

ICU Nurse Education Requirements, Certifications, and Professional Groups

ICU nurses are required to have either an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), have passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) , and become a licensed Registered Nurse.

In addition to earning an ADN or BSN, registered nurses interested in becoming ICU nurses need to pursue experience and exposure to the ICU. Many nursing programs offer students the opportunity for an ICU externship during their last year. Other students choose to wait until they graduate to enter New Graduate internship programs . Alternatively, nurses can transition from other care areas into the ICU by applying for an open position and then participating in internal training programs.

The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) offers several ICU certifications, including the CCRN certification for acute/critical care nurses and additional modules for pediatrics and neonatology. These certifications require renewals , which are granted based on either passing an exam or completing Continuing Education Recognition Points (CERPS) through a combination of learning modules, clinical hours, and other activities.

ICU nurses who want to become more closely engaged in their field are encouraged to become involved with the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) , as well as any of these organizations dedicated to providing care to those in need of acute or critical care.

The Pros and Cons of Being an ICU Nurse

Pros of icu nursing.

  • Ability to provide focused nursing care to just one or two patients at a time
  • Being able to see patients go from unstable to stable conditions
  • ICU nurses are highly respected for their critical thinking skills and ability to work under pressure

Cons of ICU Nursing

  • Communications with patients’ families can be challenging
  • High patient morbidity
  • Intense, high-pressure environment

ICU Travel Nursing Jobs

The job of an ICU nurse requires in-depth knowledge of both anatomy and body systems, and the technical equipment that monitors and maintains those systems. Know-how and confidence, along with the ability to think critically and respond rapidly are all key characteristics of an ICU nurse.

As a result of both the national nurse shortage and the high stress and high turnover levels for staff nurses in the ICU, qualified ICU travel nurses are increasingly in high demand.

Experienced ICU travel nurses can choose from a wide range of locations and environments. Hospitals in need of supplemental staff don’t have time to teach inexperienced nurses what they need to know. As a result, ICU travel nurses usually have their pick of travel nursing assignments across the country with competitive salaries that feature exceptional benefits and perks including high pay rates, housing stipends and travel reimbursement.

RNs can earn up to $2,300 a week as a travel nurse. Speak to a recruiter today!

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ICU Nurse Requirements & Education: A Comprehensive Guide

icu travel nurse education

Table of Contents

As a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), you will be central to patient care in critical medical situations. This job can be incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with a significant amount of responsibility and requires thorough professional preparation. The world of travel ICU nursing is exciting and intense, all at the same time. If you've been thinking about pursuing a travel nursing career in the intensive care unit of healthcare facilities, Health Carousel Nursing & Allied Health is ready to support you through our impressive benefits and by sharing the requirements and education you need to get started on this career path.

Role of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse

ICU nurses provide highly skilled nursing care to critically ill patients who require constant monitoring and intensive therapies. They work in intensive care units, also known as critical care units, which provide specialized care for patients with life-threatening medical conditions that require continuous medical intervention.

Some examples of the types of patients you might treat while working in the ICU are:

  • Those recovering from major surgery
  • Those with severe trauma and injuries
  • Those with severe infections like sepsis
  • Those on ventilators
  • Those with organ failure

The main role of ICU nurses is to provide vigilant, comprehensive care to patients in unstable conditions. They closely monitor a patient's vital signs, analyze diagnostic tests, operate complex medical equipment, administer medications and IV fluids, and report any changes in a patient's status to physicians.

ICU nurses also often provide basic care like bathing, feeding, and repositioning patients. Their duties require strong clinical judgment, critical thinking, and assessment skills to identify complications and intervene quickly when a patient's condition deteriorates.

ICU nurses have advanced skills in operating complex medical equipment like ventilators, balloon pumps, dialysis machines, pacemakers, and intra-aortic devices. They titrate vasoactive medications to maintain optimal organ perfusion. Other roles that an ICU nurse assumes include:

  • Manage draining tubes
  • Wound vacuums
  • Providing respiratory care

They educate and support both patients and their families during the stressful and emotional experience of critical illness.

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The Role of ICU Nurses in Addressing Critically Ill Patients

ICU nurses play a pivotal role in treating the sickest and most vulnerable patient populations. Their primary responsibility is to continuously monitor a patient's condition, watch for complications, and act quickly to stabilize the patient and prevent further decline.

What your duties will look like as a travel ICU nurse will depend on where you're working and the patients that are currently under your care. Specific responsibilities of ICU nurses caring for critically ill patients include:

  • Frequently checking vital signs and interpreting changes
  • Titrating vasoactive IV medications to improve organ perfusion
  • Managing ventilators and settings to optimize oxygenation and ventilation
  • Preventing secondary complications like pneumonia, pressure injuries, and blood clots
  • Providing passive and active range of motion to prevent muscle atrophy
  • Monitoring intake/outputs and managing fluid balance
  • Performing advanced interventions like suctioning, drain removals, and dressing changes
  • Collaborating closely with physicians, therapists, and other specialists
  • Educating and comforting anxious families and patients

ICU nurses use evidence-based practices and critical thinking skills to make rapid assessments, recognize subtle changes, and intervene professionally to stabilize and improve a patient's condition.

The Work Environment in the Intensive Care Unit

Working in an intensive care unit is a highly stressful and demanding travel job . The ICU environment involves treating the most critically ill patients, who are often technologically dependent and at high risk for deterioration. ICU nurses must function well in a fast-paced, high-acuity setting and make rapid critical decisions while remaining calm and collected.

ICU nurses must deal with frequent medical crises and life-or-death situations. They have to manage the complex treatment regimes of very sick patients involving multiple medications, intricate equipment, and invasive monitoring. ICU nurses also regularly interact with family members and must have expertise in end-of-life care and be comfortable with grief counseling.

The ICU is an emotionally charged workplace with high patient mortality rates . Travel ICU nurses must cope with frequent death yet balance it with hope to support patients and families. Maintaining professional boundaries while providing compassionate care is essential.

In addition to an often stressful environment, ICU nurses must stand for long periods and work overnight, weekend, and holiday shifts. The high acuity requires constant vigilance, multitasking, and specialized skills from ICU nurses. Excellence in this field requires nurses who thrive in intense, controlled chaos and make smart decisions under pressure while coordinating complex patient care.

How Critical Care Nurses Interact With Acute Care Settings

While ICU nurses work specifically in intensive or critical care units, they frequently interact with professionals from other acute care settings within a hospital. Travel ICU nurses collaborate closely with emergency department nurses during the transition of critically ill patients to the ICU.

They also work with post-anesthesia care nurses when patients transfer to the ICU after surgery. Other acute care nurses that critical care nurses interact with include:

  • Stepdown/intermediate care nurses who care for patients transitioning out of the ICU
  • Operating room nurses who care for patients during surgery requiring ICU recovery
  • Neonatal intensive care nurses who care for critically ill newborns
  • Pediatric intensive care nurses who care for critically ill children
  • Cardiovascular intensive care nurses who care for patients after cardiac surgery
  • Neuro intensive care nurses who care for patients with traumatic brain injury or strokes

Smooth hand-offs between acute care units require excellent communication and teamwork between all nurses involved. ICU nurses play a vital role in advocating for their vulnerable patients across settings and coordinating care with other healthcare specialists.

Educational Requirements for Travel ICU Nursing

Working in an intensive care unit requires registered nurses who are licensed and have specialized education in critical care nursing. The main educational routes to becoming an ICU nurse are:

  • Earning an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN): Nurses who want to work in the ICU need to have either an ASN or BSN from an accredited program. Admissions requirements will vary from program to program.
  • Completing a Critical Care Training Program: These post-graduate certificate programs provide several hundred hours of specialized ICU training. They cover advanced interventions, technologies, and developments in critical care.
  • Gaining ICU Experience as an RN: Many hospitals provide on-the-job ICU training for RNs with medical/surgical experience. Several years of bedside nursing helps develop the skills needed for critical care.
  • Obtaining Critical Care Certification: Certifications like Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) validate expertise and specialty knowledge in critical care. Obtaining this certification requires RN experience and passing a certification exam.

Ongoing education through courses, conferences, and training is essential for ICU nurses to stay current on the latest practices and technology. Partnering with Health Carousel Nursing & Allied Health offers continuous learning opportunities through Clinical Ladder and Work Study programs that can help advance your travel ICU nursing career.

Certification and Licensing Process for Travel ICU Nurses

The pathway to becoming a travel ICU nurse begins with earning either an Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited nursing program.

Both degrees qualify graduates to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), which all U.S. states and territories require prospective nurses to pass before being granted an RN license. Many nurses start with an ADN and then complete an RN-to-BSN program online while working and gaining valuable experience.

After passing the NCLEX-RN exam, nurses must apply for licensure in their home state. This involves submitting an application form, background check, and licensing fee. For those living in a compact nursing state, applying for the compact license will allow you to pursue a travel ICU nursing career easily.

How Do You Obtain an RN License and Maintain it?

The steps to obtain an initial RN license are:

  • Graduate from an accredited nursing program (ADN or BSN).
  • Register and pass the NCLEX-RN exam.
  • Submit a completed application, fees, and supporting documentation to your state board of nursing.
  • Undergo background checks and fingerprinting.
  • Receive an RN license after approval.

To maintain an active license, RNs must renew periodically by meeting their state's continuing education requirements through options like:

  • Completing accredited continuing nursing education courses
  • Earning nursing certifications
  • Attending nursing conferences and events
  • Precepting nursing students or new nurses
  • Publishing nursing research or articles

Proper licensure maintenance ensures competency and allows RNs to continue practicing legally and ethically.

The Process to Become a Certified Critical Care Nurse

Experienced ICU nurses can demonstrate their skills by pursuing Critical Care Registered Nurse ( CCRN ) certification through the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses . There are several eligibility requirements to sit for this certification exam:

  • Holding an active RN license
  • Working 1,750 hours in direct bedside care of critically ill patients in the past two years
  • Having a minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice as an RN within the last five years, with at least 144 of those hours being in the most recent year before applying

If the criteria are met, candidates can apply to take the CCRN exam, which covers topics like cardiovascular, pulmonary, endocrine, neurological, and immune system management in the ICU. The exam has 150 multiple-choice questions and must be passed within 3 hours.

CCRN certification is valid for three years. Renewal requires completing continuing education in critical care and applying to retake the exam.

Career Prospects for Travel ICU Nurses

The projected job growth for travel icu nurses in healthcare.

The job outlook for travel ICU nurses is very strong. The need for traveling ICU nurses will only continue to grow along with our aging population and as more and more individuals are dealing with illnesses that require intensive or critical care.

While we can't pinpoint the exact growth rate for travel ICU nurses specifically, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be a 6% growth rate for RNs from 2022 to 2032. This is faster than other occupations.

ICU nurses are in especially high demand. The intensity of care provided to critically ill patients requires specialized skills and training. Hospitals will continue relying on experienced critical care nurses to provide quality care in their ICUs.

How ICU Nurses Transition to Other Nursing Roles Such as an ER Nurse

Many travel ICU nurses leverage their backgrounds to advance into new travel nursing positions through additional education and training. Pursuing different roles within travel nursing based on ICU experience is a great way to grow your career to where you want it to be. With the skills and knowledge required to work as a travel ICU nurse, some other travel nursing roles one might consider at some point are:

  • Nurse leader on various units

Achieve Your Dream Career as a Travel ICU Nurse With Health Carousel Nursing & Allied Health

Health Carousel Nursing & Allied Health is a nurse-nominated top 10 travel nurse agency that's committed to helping you pursue your travel ICU nurse career. Our team of caring recruiters will help you find the right travel role for you and your career goals.

We're more than just a travel nurse agency. We're a partner in your career path. Partnering with us offers unique benefits , such as:

  • Career Coaching
  • Clinical Ladder and Work Study programs
  • A Full Circle of Support
  • Support from a QIN-Led Team
  • Comprehensive health and wellness plans

Are you ready to join the world of travel critical care nurses? Check out On Demand , our powerful web app, where you can search and apply for travel ICU nurse jobs nationwide.

What certifications do you need to be an ICU nurse?

To become an ICU nurse, you need to have a registered nursing (RN) license. Additionally, many employers prefer or require ICU nurses to have Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certifications. Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) certification is also highly valued and can be beneficial for those looking to specialize further in the field of critical care nursing.

How long does it take to be an ICU nurse?

Becoming an ICU nurse typically requires earning an Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, followed by passing the NCLEX-RN. After obtaining RN licensure, gaining experience in acute care settings is essential, which can take an additional one to two years before transitioning into an ICU specialty.

Can you become an ICU nurse right out of college?

Yes, it is possible to become an ICU nurse right out of college, but it might require additional steps or experience depending on the healthcare facility's requirements.

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ICU Travel Nurse Career Guide: Duties, Requirements, Salary, and More

by Trusted Nurse Staffing | Dec 14, 2021 | News | 0 comments

icu travel nurse salary

Are you considering becoming an ICU travel nurse? Do you want to know more about the ICU travel nurse job description and what it takes to become one? 

Finding the answers you need can be a difficult process. Luckily, Trusted Nurse Staffing is here to help clear away the cobwebs and understand the intricacies of ICU travel nurse assignments. 

This guide will help you understand what it takes to be an ICU travel nurse, what the pros and cons are, and much, much more. 

Table of Contents

  • ICU Travel Nurse Job Description 

Where Are ICU Travel Nurses Typically Placed?

Basic requirements for icu travel nurse jobs, advanced certifications that may be required for icu travel nurse jobs, landing an icu travel nurse position: what makes for an optimal candidate, the pros and cons of accepting an icu travel nurse job, how much does a traveling icu nurse make, if you are interested in pursuing icu travel nurse jobs, trusted nurse staffing can help, icu travel nurse job description.

Before you jump into an assignment, you probably want to know what the job description is. What is a basic ICU travel nurse job description? Not surprisingly, it doesn’t really differ from a stationary ICU nurse. 

As an ICU travel nurse, you can expect to do all the things any other ICU nurse does:

  • Supervise other nurses and LPNs
  • Educate and inform patients and their families
  • Coordinate care plans with other health care providers
  • Perform or arrange for tests such as blood draws
  • Check patient vitals
  • Record patient health data

With Trusted Nurse Staffing , you can rest easy knowing that we provide you with everything you need to succeed, from job description to step-by-step support. 

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An ICU travel nurse can be placed anywhere there is an ICU, from hospitals to health centers, and beyond. 

Within a facility, there are multiple different ICU wards in which you may find yourself, including:

Most of the requirements to work as an ICU travel nurse are the same as those required to be a stationary ICU nurse. Occasionally, a travel nurse will have a couple of additional requirements. 

The basic requirements to become an ICU nurse include:

  • Acquiring a bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited institution
  • Passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN)
  • Obtaining licensure as a registered nurse in your state
  • Considering pursuing certification in ICU care
  • Considering pursuing a master’s in nursing

Many times, nurses are required to have spent a minimum of 1 year in an ICU and, depending on your assignment, there might be some additional certifications that you are required to have. Plus, every state tends to have slightly different requirements . 

Are Only ICU RN Travel Jobs Available?

ICU nurses are almost always required to be RNs. This is because they are dealing with extremely serious cases, and their patients need a higher level of care. Generally speaking, it is less likely that you will be hired as an ICU nurse if you are not an RN.

icu rn travel jobs

Some ICU travel nurse jobs require additional, advanced certifications such as:

  • CCRN (adult)
  • CCRN (pediatric)
  • CCRN (neonatal)
  • CMC (adult)

While not required for every ICU job, these certifications certainly set nurses apart from the pack. At times, you may find that some of these certifications are required by your facility. 

Advanced Certification: CCRN (Adult)

An adult CCRN certification is the basic, run-of-the-mill critical care specialization. 

Nurses that hold this certification are able to work in a number of critical care units including:

  • Cardiac Care Units
  • Surgical ICUs
  • Transport/flight operations
  • Additional trauma units

Advanced Certification: CCRN (Pediatric)

Not surprisingly, a CCRN certification specializing in pediatric care is a critical care certification for working with youth. Pediatrics are patients that range in age from birth to 21 years old. 

Within this range, there are subcategories:

  • Infants (birth to 2 years old)
  • Childhood (2 to 12 years old)
  • Adolescence (12 to 21 years old)

In addition to these divisions, adolescence has been further broken down into three sub-categories:

  • Early adolescence (12 to 14 years old)
  • Mid adolescence (15 to 17 years old) 
  • Late adolescence (18 to 21 years old)

Nurses with a pediatric CCRN certification can work in all pediatric critical care units including:

  • Hospital ICUs
  • Transport and flight operations
  • Other trauma units 

Advanced Certification: CCRN (Neonatal)

This certification is for nurses who want to work in critical infant care. Technically speaking, the Neonatal phase lasts from birth up until 1 month of age. Just like other CCRN certified nurses, Neonatal CCRN certified nurses can work in a variety of critical care settings including:

  • Other trauma units

Advanced Certification: CMC (Adult)

A CMC certification, or Cardiac Medicine Certification, is for nurses working with adults in cardiac units. 

A nurse with a CMC certification can work in:

  • Heart failure clinics
  • Electrophysiology units
  • Additional cardiac-related units

icu travel nurse jobs

So what will make you the ideal candidate for your dream ICU travel nurse position? 

It takes more than just being a nurse and choosing the first result when you google “ICU travel nurse jobs near me.”

There are some basic prerequisites to eligibility for ICU travel nurses. 

First, you need to be a certified RN , meaning you have either an associate’s or a bachelor’s in nursing, and you have passed the NCLEX-RN exam. 

Second, you must expose yourself to ICU care . Whether you gain that experience during your last year of school, or you work to get your foot in the door once you are a hired nurse, exposure and experience are two must-haves. 

But, to be an effective ICU travel nurse, you need more than just degrees and certificates.  Working as a travel nurse in the ICU is a difficult, draining, and demanding job and transitioning in can be difficult . 

Here are some important, non-academic, skills you will need to succeed as an ICU travel nurse:

  • Knowledge — Spend time refreshing your knowledge on the ins and outs of the ICU.
  • Passion — Working with critical care patients can be draining, emotionally and physically. It is important to have a passion for working in the ICU. 
  • Resilience and tenacity — Each day, you will find yourself staring pain and suffering in the face. You need to have an inner resilience that is tougher than the environment you are working in. 
  • Humility and a learning mindset — The ICU is different from other units, and it is important to remember that it takes time to learn new things. Allow yourself to be curious and to learn instead of rolling with a ‘fake it till you make it’ type of attitude. 
  • A strong self-care routine — Working in the ICU is difficult, physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It is important to have steady self-care routines that allow you to take a step back and tend to your own needs. 

Being an ICU travel nurse is not all glamour and adventure. Throughout your ICU assignment, you will have plenty of highs and lows. 

Pros of Being an ICU Travel Nurse

There are many pros to working in the ICU. For example: 

  • You get to provide specialized, intensive care to just a couple of patients at a time.
  • You get to watch patients go from unstable to stable and know that you were a massive part of that transition.
  • You are likely to be highly respected for your ability to work well under pressure and your critical thinking skills.

Cons of Being an ICU Travel Nurse

Just as there are pros, there are also cons to working in the ICU. If you accept an ICU assignment, you will have to deal with:

  • Challenging communication issues with patients’ families
  • Losing patients at higher rates than other units may experience
  • A 24/7 high-pressure, intense environment

Every assignment pays differently, but many ICU travel nurses can make up to $10,000.00 each month but usually earn less. The average wage, per week, for an ICU nurse is about $2,000.00. 

Depending on the needs of the hospital, travel nurses can make even more than some doctors . 

There is no firm number for exactly what every ICU travel nurse makes. It all depends on various factors such as:

  • What type of facility you are working in — A large hospital may be able to pay more than a small critical care facility. 
  • Where the facility is located — More affluent areas are likely to have higher budgets available. 
  • Your level of education and certification — You will likely be paid more if you have a BSN rather than an ASN, and special certifications will likely increase your paycheck.
  • The timing of your assignment — If you are assigned to a facility that is in desperate need of nurses, you will likely receive a higher pay rate than if you are placed with a facility that has enough staff. 

icu travel nurse salary

Working as an ICU travel nurse is a difficult but incredibly rewarding opportunity. With Trusted Nurse Staffing, you have the support you need to step into a fulfilling assignment as an ICU travel nurse. 

Trusted Nurse Staffing has many benefits to offer including:

  • The highest pay rate in the industry
  • Meal, housing, and travel stipends
  • A welcome gift box
  • Overtime and double-time opportunities
  • 24/7 access to your own personal Trusted partner
  • Wellness benefits

We take our responsibility to our nurses very seriously and are passionate about empowering them to thrive in each assignment. 

If you are looking to branch out into the travel nursing world, Trusted Nurse Staffing is here to help you, every step of the way. 

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Intensive Care Unit (ICU – CCU) Travel Nursing

icu travel nurse education

According to the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, critical care nursing is a specialty that deals specifically with human responses to life-threatening problems. This definition casts a very wide net that could include ER, ICU, CCU, CVICU, PCU, SDU and potentially other nursing units. This blog post will focus on travel nursing jobs in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or Critical Care Unit (CCU), which we’ll collectively refer to as ICU from here on. Understanding the general landscape of ICU travel nursing will help ICU nurses get the most out of their experience.

Intensive Care Unit (ICU – CCU) Travel Nursing Job Outlook

ICU was listed as one of Healthcare Traveler Magazine’s 7 most in demand specialties for 2013 . This is no surprise as ICU is always an in-demand specialty relative to other specialties. Despite the reported high demand, there are several factors pertaining to the ICU job outlook that ICU nurses should consider.

Discover your next travel healthcare job on BluePipes!

First, some hospitals seek out very specific skill sets for their ICU candidates. This is important because ICU is a very broad specialty. Different hospitals can organize their ICUs in different ways which will expose ICU nurses to different patient populations and therefore lead to the development of differing skills. So some hospitals look for candidates with experience in ICUs that mirror their own ICU. This can mean that they look for candidates who have experience with similar patient populations, similar unit bed sizes, similar hospital bed sizes, or similar equipment and procedures.

For this reason, it’s a good idea for nurses interested in ICU travel jobs to complete an ICU Skills Checklist in order to get an idea of the breadth of their skills within the specialty. This way, you’ll easily be able to identify your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you find jobs that you’re well suited for.

Second, many hospitals maintain stricter experience requirements for their ICU candidates than they do for other specialties. It’s very common these days for hospitals to require a minimum of 2 years of experience for their ICU travelers. It’s also becoming more common for them to require 3-5 years of experience.

Free: Universal Job Application and Credential Management for travelers.

Finally, despite the higher demand for ICU relative to other specialties, ICU nurses should still expect shorter lead times when securing their travel jobs. Lead times are still running at about 3 weeks. This means that hospitals will release job orders 3 weeks before they intend the nurse to start the job. And the lead time can be much shorter for the highest paying travel nursing jobs .

Intensive Care Unit (ICU – CCU) Travel Nursing Licenses and Certifications

BLS and ACLS certifications are standard requirements for ICU travel jobs. As always, it’s imperative that these certifications be obtained through the American Heart Association (AHA). The vast majority of hospitals require certification through the AHA and those that don’t require it will accept it.

Like all travel nurses, ICU travelers should obtain a state nursing license prior to attempting to land a job in the state in question. There are very few facilities that will accept a submission profile  without a license verification from their state’s Board of Nursing. Deciding where to start can be difficult for those new to travel. Our article on the subject,  Deciding Where to Travel as a Travel Nurse , can help you formulate a strategy.

Negotiate travel nursing pay like a PRO with our free eBook.

Finally, there are a host of certifications that some hospitals require. On rare occasions, hospitals require their ICU travelers to have PALS certification, even though the nurse will not be working with children. A Certification for Critical Care Registered Nurses (CCRN) from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) is also required on rare occasions. And some hospitals require their ICU travelers to obtain some form of EKG certification. These certifications are typically obtained through a qualifying continuing education unit course.

Intensive Care Unit (ICU – CCU) Travel Nursing Job Pay Outlook

The  contracts between agencies and their client hospitals  typically categorize nursing specialties for billing purposes. For example, one common categorization method is to assign nursing specialties to a “Standard” category or a “Specialty” category. The bill rate for the Specialty category is typically $2 to $8 per hour more than the bill rate for the Standard category.  ICU nursing is classified under the “Specialty” category.

Bill rates for ICU can range from roughly $54 per hour on the low-end to roughly $74 per hour on the high-end depending the state and/or hospital in question.  Crisis rate  ICU jobs can have higher bill rates and other ICU travel jobs may have bill rates lower than $54 per hour. As you can see, there is a huge gap between the highest and lowest paying jobs for ICU. This is true for all travel nurses. For information on how agencies determine pay based on the bill rate you can r eview our article on the subject here.

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It’s important to note that ICU travel jobs tend to have a better chance of getting classified as “Crisis Rate” assignments by hospitals. Hospitals are also more likely to assign bonuses for ICU assignments than they are for many other specialties. This is due to the fact that it tends to be more difficult for agencies to find a hospital’s ideal candidate. Increased rates and bonuses serve as an incentive for both agencies and ICU candidates.

Intensive Care Unit (ICU – CCU) Travel Nursing Job Considerations

There are some issues that ICU travel nurses should consider regarding potential work conditions. For example, ICU travel nurses are asked to float more often relative to other specialties. This is because they have the ability to work in multiple units due to their highly advanced skill sets. Some hospitals ask that their ICU travelers float to Stepdown Units (SDU), Direct Observation Units (DOU), or Progressive Care Units (PCU). On rarer occasions, hospitals ask that their ICU travel nurses float to Telemetry and Medical Surgical Units. Rarer still, some hospitals will ask that their ICU travel nurses float to PACU or ER units. Therefore, it’s prudent for ICU travel nurses to ask about these policies during their interview with the hospital.

ICU travel nurses should also remember that different hospitals will organize their ICUs in different ways. This means nurses can be exposed to different types of patients, procedures, and equipment than they’re used to seeing. Therefore, it’s recommended to ask for specifics about the unit during your travel nursing interview to ensure you don’t walk into a situation unprepared.

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ICU is a great specialty for travel assignments. Even when the travel job market is bad, ICU is still pretty good. You might have to be a little more flexible and you may have a shorter lead time for your next assignment, but there always seems to be work available.

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This was an interesting read about ICU units. My sister is interested in becoming a consultant for the ICU unit at our local hospital so I’m looking online to learn more about it. I think it’s cool how you explain the bill rates for the ICU. I’ll share this article to my sister.

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ICU Travel Nurse Career Guide

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Table of Contents

Often described as intense but rewarding, the role of an intensive care unit (ICU) travel nurse involves caring for most unstable patients with the highest acuity in a hospital. ICU travel nurses are known to be calm, detail-oriented, and capable of working under high pressure. These accomplished nurses are experts in managing complex disease processes and providing compassionate emotional support to families during the toughest of times.

If you’re just getting started as a travel ICU nurse or are coming back after a hiatus, there are some key considerations.

ICU Travel RN Jobs With Nomad Health

At Nomad, we’re excited to support ICU travel nurses in finding the highest paying jobs throughout the country. We understand that while travel nursing is fun, it can be stressful, so we support our Nomad nurses with a fully loaded benefits package that includes medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, and malpractice insurance. We care about your financial wellness, so we provide access day one to a 401(k) from with employer matching after a year. 

We also know little expenses can add up quickly, so we’ve got you covered with additional perks like travel reimbursement up to $1,000, a housing and utilities stipend, licensing and certification reimbursement, and scrubs reimbursement. We want to make things feel easy and secure so you can focus on doing your best work while enjoying the traveling nursing experience.

Find your next travel nurse destination

Icu travel nurse job description.

Intensive care unit travel nurses provide continuous care to critically ill patients that require life-sustaining interventions. These patients may come from the emergency room temporarily stabilized or from other units of the hospital after decompensating. ICU nurses monitor their patients as frequently as every five to fifteen minutes and manage advanced medical equipment such as ventilators that assist in breathing, arterial lines to monitor active blood pressure, and central lines for the administration of various medications. They are expected to anticipate the needs of the patient and notice small changes in the patient’s condition. Due to their strong attention to detail, ICU travel nurses react quickly to intervene and notify the right team members.

Other duties of an ICU travel nurse include comprehensive head-to-toe assessments, analyzing lab values and trends such as arterial blood gases, interpreting electrocardiograms (ECG) and knowing their treatments, monitoring strict intake and output and understanding the significance of patterns within the data, administering critical medications, transporting ventilated and hemodynamically unstable patients for advanced imaging, and providing education to the patients. Aside from direct patient care, they give culturally-sensitive emotional support and therapeutic communication to family members.

Compared to staff nursing jobs, ICU travel nursing roles are more flexible in ways like being able to choose between day and night shift, work eight or 12 hour shifts depending on the facility, take contracts four to 13 weeks at a time, take planned breaks between contracts, explore different hospital systems, and travel to different states during the year.

ICU Travel Nurse Job Requirements 

Like any job, ICU travel nursing requires a mixture of hard and soft skills. Part of the job involves knowing how to operate and troubleshoot special medical equipment. Take a look at some of the most common devices seen in the ICU.

Ventilators

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), ventilators are “breathing machines” designed to help blow air with increased oxygen in and out of the lungs. As an ICU travel nurse, many of your patients may be dependent on a ventilator. You will be collaborating with respiratory therapists to manage these devices. It’s best if you are familiar with the basic settings and alarms of a ventilator. 

Central Lines and Arterial Lines

Central venous catheters , or central lines, are catheters that are typically placed in one of three large vessels: the internal jugular vein (IJ), the subclavian vein (SCL), or the femoral vein. These catheters are necessary for when patients lack other adequate IV access, are receiving medications that are caustic on smaller veins, require vasopressor medication support, or require secure access for mass transfusion of blood products. ICU travel nurses are expected to know how to use these devices with clean technique, change dressings with sterile technique, and maintain patency in a safe manner.

Arterial lines , or art lines, are catheters that are placed within an artery, usually within the radial or femoral artery. These catheters provide more accurate, continuous blood pressure readings and access to arterial blood samples. ICU travel nurses are expected to know how to set up this catheter with a transducer, troubleshoot waveform patterns on the monitor, pull arterial blood samples, and maintain patency of the catheter in a safe manner.

Gaestric Tubes

All patients dependent on a ventilator will require a dobhoff tube, nasogastric (NG) tube, and/or an oral gastric tube (OG). A Dobhoff tube is a thin, flexible tube that is placed through a nasal passage and into the stomach, and sometimes into the small intestine. This tube is more comfortable for patients and is typically used to administer medications and enteral nutrition into the patient. 

Both nasogastric (NG) tubes and oral gastric (OG) tubes are thicker tubes fed either through the nares or the mouth. These lead to the stomach and serve to either feed medication or decompress the contents of the stomach. ICU travel nurses are expected to know how to confirm the placement of these devices, flush them, push medications through safely, and keep them patent.

High Risk/High Alert Medications

Medication management is a huge part of nursing and especially ICU travel nursing. Patients in the ICU are often hemodynamically unstable, meaning their vital sign measurements indicate organ dysfunction or failure. Patients like these will receive multiple vasoactive drips through a central line such as neosynephrine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and amiodarone. Patients dependent on ventilators also receive continuous sedation and analgesics so they can stay comfortable and safe. Some of the most common sedative and analgesic medications administered by travel ICU nurses are propofol, fentanyl, dexmedetomidine, and versed. In some cases paralytic medication drips, like cisatracurium, are given.

Complex ICU Travel Nursing Skills

Other than managing medical devices, some other skills required of travel ICU nurses are frequent charting, sterile technique, extensive wound management (eg. Steven Johnson syndrome), pressure injury management, proning patients for ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and indwelling urinary catheter management.

The Art of Nursing

Some of the soft skills required of a travel ICU nurse are maintaining a calm demeanor in stressful situations, teamwork, fast and effective decision making, resource management, and time management. Other important competencies are critical thinking, prioritization, delegation, flexibility, strong clinical judgment, compassionate care, and assisting patients and families with end-of-life care.

Most hospitals will require nurses to have a minimum of 12 months of recent ICU experience. In some instances, ICU travel nurses might provide care to various patient populations within the same unit. For example, there may be a single ICU in the hospital that houses patients from different specialty units like MICU, SICU, NSICU, and CVICU. This is largely facility-dependent as smaller community hospitals or critical access hospitals don’t have the volume of patients to fill multiple ICUs. 

As you take on ICU travel assignments, hospital systems and teams may change, but the core principles of ICU nursing remain the same. Brush up on ACLS and PALS protocols, common pathophysiology, and ventilator and drip management; also, consider enriching your nursing education by familiarizing yourself with evidence-based protocols, reading peer-reviewed articles, and participating in professional nursing webinars and conferences. With these practices, you’ll be able to show up confidently to any ICU travel assignment.

Popular ICU Travel Nurse jobs

Types of icu travel nurse jobs.

With Nomad, we have seven of the most popular specialities available within ICU travel nursing. Some of the most common ICU travel nurse jobs include Medical ICU (MICU), Pediatric ICU (PICU), Neonatal ICU (NICU), Surgical ICU (SICU), Cardiovascular ICU (CVICU), Burn ICU (BICU), and Neurosurgical ICU. Take a look at the differences between some of these specialties:

Medical ICU (MICU)

Medical intensive care (MICU) travel nurses are trained to care primarily for critically ill adult patients that require close monitoring. According to the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), patients in the MICU may have conditions such as sepsis, shock, respiratory failure, gastrointestinal bleeds, esophageal varices, substance abuse overdose or withdrawl, suicide attempt, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). These patients may require advanced life saving measures such as ventilators, arterial lines, central lines, CRRT (Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy), ECMO (Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), and vasoactive and sedative drips.

MICU travel nurses are capable of noticing subtle changes in their patients' condition and responding to life threatening events like cardiac arrest. These nurses have comprehensive physical assessments skills, including recognition of adventitious lung sounds such as stridor and abnormal heart sounds, such as S3, S4, and gallops. Other skills include drawing arterial blood gases and interpreting the findings. MICU travel nurses will also be familiar with preparing for invasive bedside procedures such as intubation, chest tube placement, central venous catheter insertion, and thoracentesis. 

As a MICU travel nurse, the typical nurse-to-patient ratio is 1:2. Depending on your level of experience and skill set, you may be given assignments with a 1:1 nurse-to-patient ratio. In order to qualify for an assignment, you are expected to have Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Life Support (ACLS), and at least 12 months of MICU nursing experience in the last two years.

Pediatric ICU (PICU)

Similar to other intensive care units, the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) houses critically ill children that require a high degree of monitoring and medical intervention. According to the American Nurses Association, patients can range from newborn age to children and young adults of 21 years. A PICU travel nurse may care for adolescents with diverse conditions such as brain tumors, cancer, acute respiratory failure, genetic and chromosomal abnormalities (ex. trisomy 21), sepsis and infections (ex. Bacterial meningitis, viral pneumonia), near drowning, or intoxication and overdose.

Some of the primary responsibilities of a PICU travel nurse involve caring for ventilator dependent and hemodynamically unstable children that require multiple critical drips for survival. PICU nurses have to balance being strong advocates for their patients while also showing compassion and supporting the parents of severely ill children. Similar to other ICU nurses, PICU travel nurses are expected to notice subtle changes in the status of their patients and respond to emergency situations requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

As a PICU travel nurse, the typical nurse-to-patient ratio is 1:2 or 1:1 for sicker patients. In order to qualify for an assignment, a PICU travel nurse will need Basic Life Support (BLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and possibly the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification, along with 12-24 months of PICU RN experience in the last two years. 

Neonatal ICU (NICU)

Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) travel nurses tend to the tiniest and most vulnerable of patients. As the name suggests, a NICU nurse will care exclusively for newborns. According to the  American Academy of Pediatrics , there are four levels of care designated to neonatal intensive care units:

Level I : These facilities “provide a basic level of care to neonates who are low risk.” This typically means healthy, full term babies and premature babies who can be stabilized and transferred to a higher level facility.

Level II : These facilities “are reserved for stable or moderately ill newborn infants who are born at or equal to 32 weeks’ gestation.” These babies may be recovering from complications of a premature birth.

Level III : These facilities care for “infants who are born at under 32 weeks’ gestation, weigh under 1500 g at birth, or have medical or surgical conditions, regardless of gestational age.” NICU nurses will be expected to utilize advanced life support equipment for a prolonged period.

Level IV : These facilities include “the capabilities of level III with additional capabilities and considerable experience in the care of the most complex and critically ill newborn infants.” This includes the capacity for infant surgery.

NICU travel nurses approach their care with a strong, family-centered approach. Their patients are unable to advocate for themselves as they are incapable of speaking or communicating verbally due to their nascent age, and may be dependent fully on life support measures such as ventilators and feeding tubes. Parents are often understandably stressed and benefit greatly from a clear, kind, and trauma-informed communication style from NICU travel nurses. NICU travel nurses are expected to anticipate the needs of their patients and respond quickly to any medical emergencies that may arise.

NICU travel nurses may be staffed based on their current level of experience at a facility of similar or higher level of care. A successful NICU travel nurse is expected to have 12-36 months of NICU experience and hold certifications in Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification.

Surgical ICU (SICU)

The surgical intensive care unit (SICU) sees critically ill patients that have a “vast range of surgical injuries and illnesses coming from nearly all departments in the hospital,” according to  West Virginia University Hospital . As a SICU travel nurse, you may be caring for hemodynamically unstable patients recovering from general, thoracic, trauma, vascular, orthopedic, gynecologic and obstetric surgeries. Some of the common conditions seen in SICU patients are abdominal resection, gunshot wounds (GSW), liver or peritoneal resection, complex burns, multiple traumas (motor vehicle accident), cancer, or abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Similar to MICU travel nurses, SICU travel nurses perform comprehensive physical assessments, draw arterial blood gases and interpret the findings, and prepare for invasive bedside procedures such as intubation, chest tube placement, central venous catheter insertion, and thoracentesis. SICU travel nurses have a sixth sense for when things seem “off” about their patient, and use their clinical judgment and critical thinking skills to troubleshoot any emerging problems with their patients’ condition. The management of critical medication drips and responding to life-threatening emergencies like cardiac arrest are also expected.

SICU travel nurses are regularly exposed to a vast array of surgically managed conditions and are expected to be familiar with pre and post operative nursing care. The nurse-to-patient ratio may be 2:1 or 1:1. SICU travel nurses will also need Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Life Support (ACLS), and at least 12 months of SICU nursing experience in the last two years.

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See our highest paying travel nurse jobs

Icu travel nurse salary information.

An ICU travel nurse with Nomad makes an average of $2500 a week, or $64 an hour. That means for a typical 13-week assignment, the gross pay could be $33,000 or more.* 

There are multiple ways to increase your salary as an ICU travel nurse. Obtaining the CCRN, a specialty certification administered by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), can increase your value and demonstrate your level of expertise to hospitals. Gaining more overall nursing experience, having a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), learning new skills, and cross training into a different ICU specialty can also increase your base pay. For example, a Nomad NICU travel nurse averages $3300 a week compared to $2600 for a CVICU nurse.* Hourly rates will also naturally fluctuate between different locations and times of the year.

*Average pay of Nomad Health ICU travel nurse job postings as of February 28, 2023.

Highest-Paying ICU Travel Nurse Jobs

On the high end, an ICU travel nurse with Nomad can make up to $4,800 a week, or $92 per hour.*  For a 13 week contract, this adds up to about $62,400 of gross pay. When searching for jobs with Nomad, you can easily filter by salary in order to identify the highest paying ICU jobs. 

In terms of specialty, the three highest paying ICU travel nurse jobs with Nomad are PICU, CVICU, and NICU. Currently, the three highest paying states on Nomad’s ICU job listings are Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts*

*Highest listed pay of Nomad Health ICU travel nurse job postings as of February 28, 2023. 

How To Become an ICU Travel Nurse

Earn your nursing degree.

The first step to becoming an ICU travel nurse is getting your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited four year university, or an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from an accredited two year university.

Pass the NCLEX

In order to become licensed as a registered nurse in any state, you will have to then pass the  NCLEX-RN , which is a standardized test given to every potential nurse candidate. Once you have your initial nursing license, you can always apply for licenses in other states later or apply for a multistate license if you qualify.

Find an ICU Job

Ideally, find a reputable ICU nurse residency program to join as a new nurse. Some benefits of a nurse residency are that they provide comprehensive training and education through a didactic and simulated setting. Joining a nursing fellowship is also a great option for more experienced nurses looking to transition to an ICU. If you’re unable to start your nursing career in the ICU, there are other options. You can always start in a different inpatient setting like the emergency room (ER) , Step-down, or Med-surg before transferring to the ICU. You want to have at least one to two years of solid nursing experience under your belt and more importantly, feel comfortable with managing your patients' nursing care confidently and independently.

Get Certified

Although it’s not necessary, obtaining additional certifications with the  American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) can boost your resume and knowledge base. This can make you a more attractive travel nursing candidate to future hospitals. Passing an exam like the CCRN shows employers, patients, and other nurses that you have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in critical care and patient safety.

How to Apply for ICU Travel Nurse Jobs

Ready to start your ICU travel nursing adventure? Nomad Health is your gateway to a world of endless possibilities. With our job database, finding and applying for ICU travel nurse jobs has never been easier.

Register to access thousands of jobs

Completed profiles get faster offers, find your speciality and browse open jobs, icu travel nursing faqs, is there a demand for travel icu nurses, what is the highest pay for a travel icu nurse, how long does it take to be a travel icu nurse, icu travel nurse healthcare sources.

Nursing Process. (n.d.). Highest Paying Travel Nursing Jobs. Retrieved from https://www.nursingprocess.org/highest-paying-travel-nursing-jobs.html

Rothenberg, K., & Hussain, S. (2013). Virtual PICU Systems: An Overview. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine : A Journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies, 14(8), 796–798. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3840149/#R3

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. (2018, June 26). A Day in the Life of a PICU Nurse. Retrieved from https://www.chop.edu/news/day-life-picu-nurse

Seattle Children's Hospital. (n.d.). Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Retrieved from https://www.seattlechildrens.org/clinics/picu/

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2012). Levels of Neonatal Care. Pediatrics, 130(3), 587–597. Retrieved from https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/130/3/587/30212/Levels-of-Neonatal-Care?autologincheck=redirected

WVU Medicine. (n.d.). Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU). Retrieved from https://wvumedicine.org/criticalcare/surgical-intensive-care-unit-sicu/

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2021, January 26). Ventilator. Retrieved from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/ventilator

American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing. (n.d.). AAACN Online Library. Retrieved from https://www.academyonline.org/

American Nurses Association. (n.d.). NursingWorld. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. (n.d.). AACN | Critical Care Nurses. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/

National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2018). Mechanical Ventilation. In StatPearls [Internet]. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519511/

National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2018). Pressure Support Ventilation. In StatPearls [Internet]. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499989/

American Academy of Pediatrics. (n.d.). Neonatal Care. Retrieved from https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/neonatal-care

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ICU Nurse Jobs

Find high-paying ICU nurse jobs nationwide with Aya Healthcare and take your ICU RN career to the next level. Apply now.

Jump to ICU Nurse Jobs

Brittany R., Healthcare Professional

Access ICU Nursing Jobs Nationwide

Aya Healthcare is the largest healthcare staffing agency in the nation. Over the years, we’ve helped tens of thousands of nurses find their ideal ICU nursing jobs, and we’d love to help you, too! Are you looking for ICU travel nurse jobs? Or perhaps permanent or per diem ICU nurse jobs near you? Whatever you’re looking for, Aya Healthcare has ICU nurse job openings for your next career step.

Employment Types For ICU RNs

First time searching for ICU nursing jobs with Aya? Don’t sweat it! Our extensive team of recruiting, credentialing, staffing, payroll, clinical and clinician experience experts is the best in the industry. We’re happy to answer your questions and help you as you find the perfect ICU nurse job.

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Featured Nationwide ICU RN Jobs

Browse All ICU RN Jobs Now

I can't say enough about the company or my recruiter! The application process is organized and transparent. They provide clear instructions for every step of the process. The level of communication is excellent. Rafik M. ICU RN

What ICU travel nurse jobs are available?

Take your skills on the road, develop your talents and gain vital experience while meeting new people, exploring new places and making a positive impact across the nation.

Aya Healthcare offers ICU travel nursing jobs nationwide — including exclusive assignments only available for Aya Healthcare travelers. As an ICU travel nurse, you’ll gain access to the largest job database in the industry, travel resources and your very own team of recruiting, credentialing, payroll and travel experience experts to assist you anytime you need.

Finding ICU travel nursing jobs with Aya Healthcare is super easy, too! Just complete your profile, then search for ICU nurse job openings and express interest with just one click. Plus, you can use filters to set specific parameters, then save your search and receive alerts when matching jobs become available. From there, we’ll help you land a job you’re interested in. Our team can even help expedite the licensing process and streamline all compliance requirements, making sure you’re ready to start on time.

Aya Healthcare also offers an array of benefits for ICU travel nurse jobs, including a 401(k) plan (once eligible), competitive ICU travel nurse salary, insurance options, free CEUs and more. We’ll even send you pizza if you’re working on your birthday. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up with Aya and start searching for ICU travel nursing jobs today!

How can I find permanent ICU jobs?

Settle down without settling with a permanent position at a leading hospital or healthcare organization.

Aya Healthcare is more than an agency for travel nurses. As the largest healthcare staffing agency, we have strong, established relationships with the top hospitals and healthcare organizations nationwide. If you’re ready to put down roots somewhere, our team of industry-leading recruiters can help you find permanent ICU nurse jobs near you and help you secure an offer faster than if you did it yourself.

Finding jobs on intensive care nursing units is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Just complete your profile and application, filter your search for permanent positions and once you click “I’m Interested” a recruiter will contact you to discuss your ideal position. Your recruiter will assist you through the entire recruitment process, from coordinating interviews for permanent ICU nurse jobs near you to helping you prepare for your first day on the job. As your #1 fan, your recruiter will support, advocate and assist you with anything you need.

Aya Healthcare’s recruitment team is the most experienced in the industry. Here are just a few things they can do to help as you search for permanent ICU nursing jobs near you:

  • Prepare you for interviews.
  • Provide resume advice to perfectly capture your professional experience.
  • Work with the facility hiring teams to ensure your application is their #1 priority.
  • Gather immediate interview feedback.
  • Facilitate salary negotiation.
  • Secure offer decisions.

Ready to find your next job as an intensive care nurse? Meet with a recruiter and start your journey today!

What per diem ICU nurse jobs are available?

Take control of your career with per diem opportunities that enable you to work when and where you want, improve your professional skills, supplement your income and more!

Aya empowers ICU nurses to take control of their careers with front-of-the-line access to per diem ICU nurse jobs — including exclusive ICU PRN jobs only available through Aya Healthcare. If flexible work hours and weekly paychecks sound like your cup of tea, then sign up today to find ICU nurse positions near you.

To get started with per diem, complete your profile and search for ICU nurse job openings near you. You can express interest in a job with just one click, and our team will take care of the rest — keeping you updated on any compliance or credentialing requirements. We’ll even schedule mandatory labs or orientation meetings before your first day on the job.

With Aya Healthcare, you can work as many per diem shifts as you want. You can even add extra shifts during a travel assignment and manage your per diem schedule through our mobile app, Shifts. We also offer a variety of perks, including competitive pay, weekly payments every Friday, a 401(k) plan and accrued sick time.

Sign up today to find ICU nurse jobs near you!

What Factors Can Influence A Permanent ICU Nurse Salary?

ICU travel nurse salary, per diem ICU nurse salary and permanent ICU nurse salary all differ and often vary from state to state and even from facility to facility. At Aya Healthcare, we understand you’re a hard-working intensive care nurse who wants to optimize your pay. That’s why we strive to offer ICU nursing jobs with the most competitive rates in the industry.

When looking at ICU nurse job openings, it’s also important to consider the benefits offered in addition to your weekly pay. Aya Healthcare offers myriad benefits for different contracts, and facilities offer their own unique benefits for permanent ICU nursing jobs. Knowing the benefits a position provides can help you make an informed decision as to whether or not you would like to apply for it.

Additionally, top-paying regions frequently change. Because you choose where to work with Aya Healthcare, you can keep yourself updated on the highest paying regions and express interest for positions that offer a competitive ICU nurse salary.

Ready to find ICU nurse jobs that match your personal and professional goals?

Browse ICU nursing jobs, view pay and facility information and express interest with just one click.

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How to Become a Critical Care Nurse

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Updated August 1, 2023

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Are you ready to earn your online nursing degree?

How Long to Become: 2-4 years

Degree Required: ADN or BSN

Job Outlook for RNs: 9% growth from 2020-2030

Each year, more than 5 million patients are admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) in the U.S. These patients receive care administered by trained physicians and critical care nurses (CCNs) for life-threatening conditions.

Due to the complex nature of these conditions, it is crucial that there are qualified healthcare professionals who can provide their expertise to help with critical care responsibilities. One such role is critical care nurse .

Provided within this career guide is an overview of critical care nursing, critical care nurse requirements, and ways to pursue a CCN career.

What Is a Critical Care Nurse?

A career as a critical care nurse means providing care to patients who have immediate, life-threatening illnesses or injuries. They work in fast-paced environments such as ICUs, pediatric ICUs, and cardiac care or telemetry units. CCNs can also work in cardiac catheterization labs, progressive care units, emergency departments, and postanesthesia care units.

Duties carried out by critical care nurses include:

  • Assessing, implementing, and coordinating patient care
  • Preparing, administering, and recording treatment
  • Assisting patients with physician-developed education plans
  • Monitoring patients' vital signs
  • Helping evaluate tests to determine patients' conditions
  • Aiding physicians during examinations
  • Initiating corrective measures and modifying treatment as needed
  • Communicating with patients' families about treatment
  • Collaborating with various healthcare disciplines to facilitate care

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Steps to becoming a critical care nurse.

Becoming a critical care nurse starts with earning either an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. Prospective nurses must then pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

After gaining experience as a nurse , aspiring critical care nurses can then become a certified critical care registered nurse holding the credential of CCRN through the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). However, critical care nurses can earn other certifications as well.

Specific program guidelines and licensure requirements may vary depending on the state and/or employer.

Earn an ADN or a BSN

An ADN provides students with the knowledge and critical skills needed in the field of nursing. An associate program typically takes two years to complete.

A BSN program is for those planning to advance within the profession or who need to meet the requirements of their state (like New York). Most employers prefer BSN-holders. The program typically takes four years to complete. ADN nurses can earn their BSN in two years.

Pass the NCLEX exam

The NCLEX assesses a nurse’s ability to apply their knowledge and analyze nursing practice scenarios rather than simply recalling information. The exam is broken down into four categories: safety and effective care environment, health promotion and maintenance, psychosocial integrity, and physiological integrity.

Gain experience in critical care nursing

Once becoming a licensed RN, nurses may pursue entry-level positions in critical care nursing such as an ICU nurse . RNs generally work for two years gaining experience with patients who have a range of conditions. After supplementing their knowledge with experience, RNs have the opportunity to become a certified critical care nurse.

Consider certification in a critical care speciality or becoming a certified critical care RN

Though not necessary, CCRN certification can open doors to other opportunities like being a code nurse or a flight nurse . Also, Magnet hospitals typically encourage certification to maintain its Magnet status. Other certifications in critical care offered by AACN include cardiac medicine, progressive care, and teleICU.

Certification affirms that the nurse has met AACN requirements and passed the necessary exam. It highlights that they have achieved an advanced level of clinical knowledge.

Find employment

With the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimating that there will be a 9% increase in nursing positions between now and 2030, there are many potential employment opportunities. Open positions can be found on career websites, such as Indeed and Glassdoor, or on the AACN website . Checking the websites of local hospitals and healthcare facilities can also provide information on job opportunities.

Critical Care Nurse Education

There are a variety of educational paths and nursing programs for those interested in becoming a critical care nurse. While earning an ADN is the minimum needed to work as a critical care nurse, some employers prefer their employees to hold a BSN.

Nurses interested in the nurse practitioner role may earn their master of science in nursing (MSN) degree in a nurse practitioner program . Nurse practitioners can specialize their MSN degree in critical and acute care and become certified as acute care nurse practitioners.

An ADN is best suited for those who want to start working in the field within a short amount of time. The shorter length also makes the ADN program more affordable. While an associate degree is the minimum requirement for the NCLEX and to receive RN licensure, a BSN may be preferred or even required by some employers.

Admission Requirements

Program curriculum, time to complete, skills learned.

Completing a BSN program provides prospective nurses with a wider range of RN job options upon graduation, which also leads to positions with higher salaries. As nursing continues to progress technologically and new techniques are being developed, earning a BSN becomes increasingly beneficial in the long term.

A BSN is also an option for nurses who have already received an ADN, as they only need to attend two additional years of schooling to earn the more advanced degree.

RN Licensure and Critical Care Nurse Certification

To work as a critical care nurse, prospective nurses must first earn their RN license after completing an associate or a bachelor's program. Upon graduating, students can earn their license after passing the NCLEX. Nurses are typically expected to work as an RN for two years before completing the necessary steps to earn critical care certification.

RN Licensure

To be eligible for an RN license, nurses must first earn an ADN or a BSN. Upon completion of the program, they typically are eligible to take the NCLEX. It is best to check with the state's nursing regulatory board to determine if there are additional requirements.

According to Kaplan Nursing , the NCLEX includes multiple choice, multiple response, fill in the blank, hot spots, chart/exhibit, and drag and drop questions. The exam mainly focuses on applied practice and the analysis of various healthcare scenarios.

Test-takers must register for the exam about six weeks before graduation. The test is available year round and costs $200.

Critical Care Certification

To become certified in critical care, the AACN requires nurses to have an active and unencumbered RN license and meet one of the following critical practice hour options:

  • Minimum of 1,750 hours caring for critically ill patients within their last two years of service, with half of those hours completed within the most recent year
  • Minimum of 2,000 hours caring for critically ill patients within their last five years of service, with 144 of those hours completed within the most recent year

Clinical hours must have been completed in either a United States or Canadian facility, and they must be verified by a clinical supervisor. Certification costs $245 for AACN members and $360 for nonmembers.

Working as a Critical Care Nurse

According to the BLS , RN positions are expected to increase approximately 9% by 2030, which means an additional 194,500 openings each year. The position also has a median salary of $75,330, with the top 10% earning $116,230. With an aging population and the arrival of COVID-19, the need for healthcare professionals should continue to rise.

To find a job as a critical care nurse, prospective nurses can check the AACN website or visit local hospital websites. Job searchers can also visit job board sites such as Indeed or Glassdoor to look for positions that are available nationally.

While the responsibilities of a critical care nurse are similar regardless of where they work, some duties may differ based upon the setting:

Pediatric ICU

  • Care for critically ill children (under 18)
  • Meet children's physical needs
  • Cater to the developmental and emotional needs of children
  • Collaborate with parents and guardians

Neonatal ICU

  • Provide specialized care that helps premature or sick newborns progress
  • Monitor infants' progress and recovery
  • Teach parents about their baby's condition and how to care for them

Burn Care Unit

  • Treat and monitor burn wounds
  • Stabilize acutely burned patients
  • Assess physical, emotional, and psychological trauma
  • Educate patient's family on ongoing care

Becoming a Critical Care Nurse: FAQs

What degree is best to become a critical care nurse.

When deciding to become a critical care nurse, the best degree depends on the person's professional goals. While an ADN program can be completed within a two-year timeframe, earning a BSN provides nurses with more professional opportunities and higher salaries.

How can you gain experience in critical care nursing?

To gain experience in critical care, nurses should seek employment in a general ICU or a specialty ICU in a clinical area that interests them. Doing so provides them with the background needed to deal with the treatment of patients in critical or terminal conditions.

Can you earn a BSN or an ADN online?

It is possible to earn an ADN or a BSN online ; however, it is important to verify that the online program is fully accredited. Visit the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education to find accredited nursing programs.

Is certification required to become a critical care nurse?

No. Certification is optional but can be beneficial. The CCRN is one option, but there are many certifications CCNs can get depending on their specialty. For example, if a critical care nurse works in a neurosurgical ICU, they might want to become a certified neuroscience registered nurse.

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Shrilekha Deshaies, MSN, CCRN, RN

Shri Deshaies MSN, RN, CCRN, is a nurse educator with over 20 years of teaching experience. She is a certified critical care nurse and has worked in various surgical intensive care units, including cardiovascular, trauma, and neurosurgery. Her passion for health equity led her to becoming a community home health nurse . She is a founding member of Nurses Serving our Neighbors which advocates for the homeless population. Deshaies recently completed a course to become a faith community nurse.

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Travel Nurse Salary: How Much Do Travel Nurses Make?

  • Travel Nurse Salary
  • Salary Factors
  • Salary by Specialty
  • Highest Paying States
  • Highest Paying Cities
  • Top Paying Agencies
  • How to Make More
  • Related Careers
  • Final Thoughts & Next Steps

Travel Nurse Salary Guide | Nurse.org

How Much Do Travel Nurses Make?

The average annual travel nurse salary in the US is  $105,021 or $50/hr, according to  ZipRecruiter  as of May 2023. This is significantly higher than the average salary for registered nurses overall, which is $81,220 per year or $39.05 per hour per the BLS . 

>> Click here to see available high-paying travel nurse opportunities!

Travel nurse salaries range widely across the country, with the lowest earners making $40,000 and the highest earners making $155,500 annually!

If you are a Registered Nurse (RN) who has ever considered traveling the country and wants to know how much travel nurses earn, you’ve come to the right place! This travel nurse salary guide will explain everything you need to know about how much travel nurses can make. Including:

  • Types of travel nurses who make the most money
  • Travel nurse salaries by city and state incomes
  • Top-paying travel nurse agencies
  • How to increase your salary as a travel nurse

Factors That Impact Travel Nurse Salaries

It is important to remember that travel nursing salary is dependent on several factors, including:

  • Nursing specialty
  • Full-time or part-time employment
  • The shifts you work: day shift, night shift, mid-shifts, or weekends
  • Bonus income

Also, travel nurses who work holidays often receive time-and-a-half or double-time pay, and in some cases, even more!

In addition, depending on the circumstances, travel nurses may also receive “crisis” pay due to needing to fill staffing urgently. If you have the desire and flexibility to move to another city or state quickly, a “crisis” assignment might be a great option for you.

Travel Nurse Salary by Specialty

What do travel nurses do that warrants their higher salaries? While flexibility is a significant factor, your travel nurse salary will also change depending on your nursing specialty.

Travel CRNA

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are the top-paid nursing specialty. The same holds true for CRNAs who take travel assignments as well. According to ZipRecruiter , CRNA travelers earn an average annual income of $194,352 or $93/hr. The highest earners make as much as $311,500!

Operating Room Travel Nurse

Operating Room (OR) travel nurses are in high demand at various locations around the country. ZipRecruiter found that operating room travel nurses earn an average annual income of $181,460 annually or $87/hr. The highest earners make as much as $286,000.

Emergency Room Travel Nurse

ZipRecruiter reports that ER travel nurses earn an average annual income of $83,503 annually or $40/hr. However, they add that the highest earners make as much as $171,500.

Intensive Care (ICU) Travel Nurse

According to ZipRecruiter , the average annual salary for ICU travel nurses is $143,416 annually or $69/hr. However, the highest earners make as much as $263,500.

Travel Nurse Practitioner

The average travel nurse practitioner salary is $140,086 annually or $67/hr, according to ZipRecruiter .  However, salary is often dependent on location and specialty. The highest-earning travel nurse practitioners make as much as $243,500.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Travel Nurse

NICU travel nurses earn an average income of approximately $173,017 annually or $83/hr, according to ZipRecruiter . However, incomes across the country can range widely, with bottom earners making $56,000 and top earners bringing in $281,500.

Med-Surg Travel Nurse

ZipRecruiter reports that med-surg travel nurses in the US earn an average annual income of $118,997 or $57.21/hr. However, per-hour incomes can reach as high as $134.38, depending on your location and facility.

Telemetry Travel Nurse

ZipRecruiter states that telemetry Travel nurses earn an average annual income of $124,122 annually or $60/hr. However, top earners bring in as much as $174,500.

travel nurse salary

Top Paying States for Travel Nurses

Location can make a huge difference in salary as a travel nurse. ZipRecruiter reports that the states that offer the highest pay for travel nurses include:

  • New York: $128,277 annually or $61.67/hr
  • Arizona: $109,776 annually or $52.78/hr
  • Wyoming: $109,765 annually or $52.77/hr
  • Hawaii: $109,653 annually or $52.72/hr
  • Tennessee: $107,708 annually or $51.78/hr
  • Massachusetts: $107,000 annually or $51.44/hr
  • New Jersey: $106,901 annually or $51.40/hr
  • Washington: $106,086 annually or $51.00/hr
  • West Virginia: $106,044 annually or $50.98/hr
  • New Hampshire: $105,438 annually or $50.69/hr

Top Paying Cities for Travel Nurses

ZipRecruiter reports that the cities that offer the highest pay for travel nurses include:

  • Barrow, AK: $137,200 annually or $65.96/hr
  • San Jose, CA: $133,873 annually or $64.36/hr
  • Oakland, CA: $132,042 annually or $63.48/hr
  • Antioch, CA: $129,387 annually or $62.21/hr
  • San Francisco Bay Area, CA: $128,781 annually or $61.91/hr
  • Lebanon, NH: $128,674 annually or $61.86/hr
  • New York, NY: $128,277 annually or $61.67/hr
  • Hayward, CA: $127,865 annually or $61.47/hr
  • Vallejo, CA: $127,791 annually or $61.44/hr 
  • Seattle, WA: $127,691 annually or $61.39/hr

Top Paying Agencies for Travel Nurses

There are multiple top-paying travel nurse agencies across the US. It is important to remember that your pay package depends on several factors, and income may vary widely depending on location and the needs of the facility. When a healthcare facility has more urgent needs for travel nurses, the pay ranges typically increase.

>> Related: Travel Nurse Requirements

Aya Healthcare

Aya Healthcare is one of the largest travel nurse agencies in the country, and they offer a wide range of travel nurse opportunities for various nursing specialties and allied healthcare positions. 

Fusion Medical Staffing

Fusion is another large nurse travel agency with many opportunities for nurses to choose their top travel destinations. Their website reports that one of the biggest perks of working with them is that they offer dedicated contacts available every day and night, 24/7.

Axis Medical Staffing

Axis Medical Staffing has won awards for “Best Customer Service” by Verywell Health and “Top Travel Nursing Company 2022” by Travel Nursing Central. 

Travel Nurse Across America

The TNAA website boasts highly skilled recruiters, housing experts, and clinical and quality insurance that prepares their travel nurses for success. 

Gifted Healthcare

Gifted Healthcare is another large travel nursing agency that reports that they aim to open the door to the right opportunities for their clinicians. In fact, their website reports that 90% of travel nurses report that their assignments aligned perfectly with their skills and expectations. 

TotalMed Staffing

Headquartered in Appleton, WI, TotalMed Staffing has several other locations across the country, such as California, Illinois, Tennessee, and North Carolina. They serve various types of healthcare facilities across the country.

Ventura Medstaff

Ventura Medstaff prides itself on integrity. Their website makes it easy to find a match for various types of healthcare specialties in the right location and facility across the country.

Tailored Healthcare

The Tailored Healthcare website reports that travel nurses are rewarded professionally with high-paying travel assignments, Platinum Shield Benefits, and everything paid for upfront. In addition, the company celebrates its nurses year-round with praise, gifts, and best-in-class bonuses.

Titan Medical 

Titan Medical Group states that they help their clients “find your place.” They feature various jobs on their website daily and make it easier for clients to find their next travel assignment.  

MedPro Healthcare

Medpro Healthcare offers incredible benefits, including competitive compensation, travel reimbursement, health insurance, short and long-term disability, 401K, Continuing education, and even referral bonuses.

How to Increase Your Salary as a Travel Nurse

No matter where you live and work as a travel nurse, there are often opportunities to increase your salary.

Be Flexible With Your City and State

When you live and work in a city with a higher cost of living, you will also be compensated at a higher rate. For example, travel nurses who work in areas such as New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Seattle will earn significantly more income than travel nurses who choose to work in lower-cost-of-living areas. 

Consider Your Specialty(s)

If you have been cross-trained in more than one nursing specialty, you may want to see which specialties pay the most through your travel agency. For example, if you usually work as an ICU nurse, but a facility has crisis needs for telemetry nurses and will pay top dollar for that specialty, then you may want to consider accepting that travel assignment. After all, these are temporary assignments, and if you decide you don’t like them, you won’t have to stay for long.

Ask About Per Diem Daily Pay

Many nurses qualify for additional per diem pay for travel nurse housing , incidentals, and meals during their travel assignments. Talk to your travel agent to see if this applies to you.

Choose Shifts Wisely

Career and travel nurses are typically paid a few dollars more per hour for working less desirable shifts such as night shifts, mid shifts, and weekends.

In addition, travel nurses who work holidays often receive time and a half or double time pay!

Talk About Bonuses

Your travel agency will need to explain your bonus structure, as they can differ from agency to agency. However, here are a few of the different types of bonuses you may be eligible for as a travel RN:

  • Agency bonus: Added pay from your travel agency
  • Retention bonus: Your agency will often pay you a fee for referring your nurse and allied healthcare professional friends to their agency.
  • Retention bonus: Agency-paid bonuses for nurses who continue to accept travel bonuses from the same agency.

Find Crisis or Strike Pay

Healthcare facilities in dire need of nursing staff during a public healthcare crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or during a nursing strike, often will pay travel nurses significantly higher wages than during non-dire times. Talk to your travel agency to find out where the most significant staffing needs are. 

Consider Looking at Different Agencies

If you are ever disappointed with your travel pay or hear through the grapevine that other agencies pay significantly more, consider looking at different agencies. It is also wise to build relationships with other travel nurses so you can talk freely about what to expect at different agencies.

Consider Finding Your Own Housing

Many agencies offer a housing stipend and then secure your housing for you. However, if you find your own housing, you may be able to find something less expensive and pocket the rest of the money.

>> See more travel nurse salary tips in How to Make the Most Money as a Travel Nurse

Salaries of Related Nursing Careers vs. Travel Nursing

The following are salaries of non-traveling nursing specialties, according to ZipRecruiter:

  • NICU Nurse : $136,592 annually or $66/hr
  • Surgical Nurse: $120,699 annually, or $58/hr
  • Postpartum Nurse: $108,952 annually or $52/hr
  • Telemetry Nurse: $95,179 annually, or $46/hr
  • ICU Nurse : $92,568 annually or $45/hr
  • Emergency Room Nurse : $83,503 annually or $40/hr

Travel Nurse Salary: Final Thoughts & Next Steps

The high salaries alone are enough to make dozens of nurses excited to enter travel nursing. But the perks don't stop at pay - travel nurses get to see the world, interact with patients across cultures, and enjoy non-taxed travel stipends. If all that sounds enticing to you, check out our guide on how to become a travel nurse to start your dream career today!

Travel Nurse Salary FAQs

Do travel nurses get paid well.

  • ZipRecruiter reports that as of May 2023, travel nurses in the US earned an average annual income of $105,021 or $50/hr. They also add that salaries range widely across the country, with the lowest earners making $40,000 and the highest earners making $155,500 annually! 

What is the highest travel nurse salary?

  • CRNAs travelers are the top-paid travel registered nurse specialty.  According to ZipRecruiter, CRNA travelers earn an average annual income of $194,352 or $93/hr. The highest earners make as much as $311,500! 

Why are travel nurses paid so much?

  • Travel nurses help to fill staffing gaps and often accept assignments in areas with severe or “crisis’” nursing shortages. For their travel flexibility and ability to work in sometimes hard-to-fill areas, they are typically paid a higher compensation.

Sarah Jividen

Sarah Jividen , RN, BSN, is a trained neuro/trauma and emergency room nurse turned freelance healthcare writer/editor. As a journalism major, she combined her love for writing with her passion for high-level patient care. Sarah is the creator of Health Writing Solutions , LLC, specializing in writing about healthcare topics, including health journalism, education, and evidence-based health and wellness trends. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two children. 

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  • Open access
  • Published: 03 March 2024

Critical care nurses’ experiences of caring challenges during post-resuscitation period: a qualitative content analysis

  • Mahnaz Zali 1 ,
  • Azad Rahmani 1 ,
  • Hadi Hassankhani 1 ,
  • Hossein Namdar-Areshtanab 1 ,
  • Neda Gilani 2 ,
  • Arman Azadi 3 &
  • Mansour Ghafourifard 1  

BMC Nursing volume  23 , Article number:  150 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

Patients in the post-resuscitation period experience critical conditions and require high-quality care. Identifying the challenges that critical care nurses encounter when caring for resuscitated patients is essential for improving the quality of their care.

This study aimed to identify the challenges encountered by critical care nurses in providing care during the post-resuscitation period.

A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews. Sixteen nurses working in the intensive care units of three teaching hospitals were selected through purposive sampling. The Data collected were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Participants experienced individual, interpersonal, and organizational challenges when providing post-resuscitation care. The most significant challenges include inadequate clinical knowledge and experience, poor management and communication skills, lack of support from nurse managers, role ambiguity, risk of violence, and inappropriate attitudes of physicians towards nurses’ roles. Additionally, nurses expressed a negative attitude towards resuscitated patients.

Critical care nurses face several challenges in providing care for resuscitated patients. To enhance the quality of post-resuscitation care, address the challenges effectively and improve long-time survival it is crucial to implement interventions such as In-service education, post-resuscitation briefing, promotion of interprofessional collaboration among healthcare teams, providing sufficient human resources, clarifying nurses’ roles in the post-resuscitation period and increasing support from nursing managers.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

Post-resuscitation care, which starts as soon as spontaneous circulation returns, is an important factor in the long-term survival of cardiac arrest victims [ 1 , 2 ]. High-quality post-resuscitation care includes special care based on the complex pathophysiological processes that occur before, during, and after cardiac arrest [ 3 ]. Providing such care requires teamwork, coordination, and collaboration among all healthcare providers involved in post-resuscitation care [ 4 ]. Nurses play a vital role during this time [ 5 ] as they not only assess and manage patients’ responses to health problems but also verify and implement some interventions/medications prescribed by other healthcare professionals [ 6 ].

Resuscitated patients require specialized care and are often admitted to intensive care units [ 7 ]. Critical care nurses encounter important decisions, stressful situations, and numerous ethical dilemmas, [ 8 ] while facing significant physical and psychological pressure [ 9 ]. Consequently, there are several challenges associated with providing high-quality care [ 10 , 11 ].

Some common challenges include insufficient consideration nurses’ opinions by physicians, [ 12 ] poor teamwork and inter-professional cooperation, [ 13 ] inadequate involvement in care planning, [ 14 ] subpar mental and physical well-being, [ 15 ] lack of support from the organization, [ 16 ] time pressure, limited availability of necessary resources/facilities [ 17 ] and ineffective in-service training [ 18 ]. These challenges have led to high levels of occupational stress [ 19 ] and burnout, [ 20 ] among critical care nurses resulting in many of them considering leaving intensive care units [ 21 ].

There is a lack of relevant studies investigating the challenges encountered by critical care nurses in providing post-resuscitation care. Given the critical condition of resuscitated patients that requires high-quality nursing care, it is crucial to investigate the challenges that critical care nurses face in caring for these patients.

Design and setting

This qualitative study was conducted at three teaching hospitals affiliated with Tabriz University of Medical Sciences from November 2021 to February 2022. These hospitals collectively have a total of 26 intensive care units and serve as a referral centers for patients with critical conditions in the East Azerbaijan Province, located in northwest Iran. The guiding research question was as follows: What challenges do critical care nurses encounter while providing care for resuscitated patients?

Participants and sampling

Sixteen nurses, 11 (68.75%) females and 5 (31.25%) males, were selected using a purposeful sampling method. Participants were from general, burn, surgical, poisoning, and medical intensive care units. The inclusion criteria were as follows: at least two years of clinical work experience in intensive care units, extensive experience in post-resuscitation care, and after expressing the willingness to participate in this study. In each educational center, a research assistant identified potential participants and informed them about the study and its purpose. Once the participants expressed their willingness to participate in the study, this information was communicated to the main researcher (M.Z). Subsequently, the she (M.Z) contacted these participants and provided a comprehensive explanation of the study’s purpose and methodology. Finally, she obtained written consent from them. The mean age and work experience of the participants were 39 ± 37/6 years and 12 ± 6/42 years, respectively. The first two participants had more than ten years of experience working in intensive care units. Others were selected based on an analysis of previous interviews to fully understand the participants’ perspectives.

Sampling was purposive, trying to select the maximum diversity in terms of nurses’ age, gender, and education level. Sampling continued until data saturation reached the point where new concepts did not emerge or where there was no significant development of previous concepts.

Data collection

Data were collected through semi-structured, face-to-face interviews conducted by a principal researcher (M.Z, Female), experienced in qualitative research. All invited nurses participated. Interviews were conducted in agreed locations- fourteen in private setting within the selected hospitals and two at main researcher’s workplace. The private areas within the hospitals included nurses’ break room or the rooms provided by head nurses. The aim was to create a private, comfortable setting for the participants to share their experiences. To ease stress, we first discussed their education and professional background. The main research questions were as follows: What kind of care do you provide to your patients in the post-resuscitation period? What problems do you face when providing such care? Why have these problems arisen? What are the barriers to and facilitators of providing post-resuscitation care in the workplace? Who supports you in providing such care? Further probing questions were asked to clarify ambiguities according to the participants’ responses to these questions. For example; Who? How? Where? Would you explain this in more detail? Please provide some examples of this point. Additional interviews were conducted with five participants, selected by M.Z and A.R after the initial analysis to clarify ambiguities, provide further explanation and fully comprehend key codes. These five participants were informed of their right to refuse the follow-up interview. All of them agreed to proceed. Three interviews took place in hospitals, and two were conducted at the main researcher workplace. These interviews were conducted after the initial interview with the each participant. In fact, the next participant was not interviewed until the data from one participant was fully collected and analyzed. The Interviews were conducted in Persian or Azeri based on the participants’ convenience. On average each interview lasted 45 min.

Data analysis

The collected data were analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman’s method (2004) for qualitative content analysis [ 22 ]. The interviews were analyzed immediately after each interview. First, the interviews were transcribed verbatim and then read and re-read several times to achieve an overall understanding of their contents. The meaning units were words, sentences, or paragraphs from the interviews. The meaning units were abstracted and labeled with codes (387 codes). The initial codes were condensed, interpreted, and compared with other codes by considering their similarities and differences, and the categories and subcategories were identified categories and sub-categories were then identified through this iterative process. Agreement on the final categories and sub-categories was reached through three meeting involving four researches.

The rigor of the study was established according to Lincoln and Guba’s (1985) criteria for: credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability [ 23 ]. Credibility was ensured through prolonged engagement of the main researcher (M.Z.) in the research setting and joint meetings with co-researchers to discuss findings. We also utilized the member checking method to verify the accuracy of extracted data and codes or make necessary modifications. After coding each interview, the coded interviews were shared with participants to ensure the correctness of their codes and interpretations. Corrections were made when there was a mismatch between researches interpretation and participants’ point of view. Transferability was ensured by selecting samples with maximum variation in terms of personal and occupational characteristics. Dependability was achieved through the involvement of four researchers in the data analysis process. Confirmability was enhanced by documenting the details of the data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

Ethical considerations

This study was approved by the Regional Ethics Committee of the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (Code No: IR.TBZMED.REC.1399.1035) and was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki declaration. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants who were also informed about the study plan, their right to not participate and the confidentiality of their information in both oral and written forms. All research analyses and reports were conducted while maintaining the confidentiality of participants’ identifying information. In this report, participants are referred to by numbers without including any identifying information. Regarding follow- up interviews, no additional approval was required to conduct them as per guidelines provided by the Regional Ethics Committee.

Three major themes, namely individual, interpersonal and organizational challenges faced by nurses in providing post-resuscitation care emerged from the analysis (Table  1 ).

Individual challenges

Some of the challenges faced by critical care nurses in providing post-resuscitation care are attributed to individual experiences. This theme comprises four sub-themes: lack of knowledge, non-reflective experiences, negative attitudes, and poor managerial skills.

Lack of knowledge

Lack of knowledge emerged as a significant challenge faced by nurses during the post-resuscitation period. Participants highlighted their insufficient understanding of patient pathology, complications arising from resuscitation, management and assessment of vital systems, and utilization of medications. This knowledge gap among critical care nurses can be attributed to various factors, such as inadequate coverage of relevant topics in university curricula, limited access to continuous education courses and suboptimal implementation of up-to-date guidelines within hospitals. Additionally, Participants expressed difficulties in accurately assessing patients’ conditions, and acknowledged that much of their care relied on routine practices rather than incorporating the latest research findings.

“Knowledge is the foundation. When you lack knowledge, you don’t know what is happening or what will happen in the future. You may not provide the necessary care” (P.2).
“I had some colleagues who struggled to understand patients’ current condition or accurately identify changes due to a lack of knowledge. As a result, they failed to recognize problems in a timely manner. We have not received proper training or guidance on how to provide specialized post- resuscitation care” (P.11).

Non-reflective experience

Limited and non-reflective experiences pose additional challenges for nurses in post-resuscitation care. Non-reflective experiences refer to repetitive encounters without reflection or correction. Participants highlighted that despite their extensive years of working in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and caring for numerous post-resuscitation patients, they did not find these experiences useful due to the lack of reflection. They believed that frequently repeating non-evidence-based and unprincipled care hindered their ability to provide high-quality care and reduce the chances of survival during the post-resuscitation period. The absence of reviewing previous cases and experiences, particularly through group discussions using effective educational materials, emerged as a significant barrier preventing nurses from engaging in reflective practices.

“Participation in resuscitation and solely providing routine care is insufficient. Nurses need to actively review clinical cases, reflect on why certain events occurred, and identify any essential care that may have been missed. Otherwise, what you label as “care” becomes nothing more than a repetitive act” (P. 3).

Negative attitudes

The participants shared that there was a prevailing negative attitude among nurses towards resuscitated patients. Many critical care nurses believed that these patients had little chance of survival and would eventually pass away. Furthermore, they viewed these patients as educational cases for nursing or medical students. This negative mindset discourages nurses from providing optimal post-resuscitation care. Consequently, there has been a significant decline in the quality of nursing care provided. According to the participants, these negative attitudes pose a major challenge in providing post-resuscitation care. Nurses also emphasized that such attitudes have become ingrained within the culture in intensive care units, where having pessimistic thoughts is not uncommon.

“Nurses generally think that a resuscitated patient would no longer survive. They feeling hopeless and often waiting for the patient’s next cardiac arrest” (P.12).

Poor managerial skills

Another challenge highlighted by the participants was the poor managerial skills of nurses. Ineffective time management and failure to prioritize patients’ problems can result in crucial issues being overlooked and valuable time for providing high-quality care being lost. Additionally, nurses faced difficulties in accessing timely support from their colleagues or nursing managers, such as clinical supervisors, when needed. Often, they encountered obstacles in seeking assistance during critical moments or were unable to receive prompt help. Furthermore, participants reported challenges in obtaining timely and adequate equipment necessary for patient care.

“Many nurses spend a lot of time with patients, but they do not always prioritize their essential needs. As Nurses, we should be able to manage our time better. Sometimes we waste time on unimportant things and end up missing out on providing necessary cares” (P.9).

Interpersonal challenges

Three sub-themes emerged within this theme: communication avoidance, physician dominance, and fear of violence.

Communication avoidance

Participants reported instances where nurses attempted to avoid communicating with physicians regarding resuscitated patients. As a result, crucial information about the patient’s situation may not have been relayed to the physician, leading to delays in follow up care. According to participants, these reluctance wasn’t just limited to communicating with physicians. Nurses also exhibited sparse communication with their colloquies unless absolutely necessary. There is a lack of desire for provide information about resuscitated patients. This reluctance may stem from several factors. First, some nurses view these patients as unlikely survivors, leading them to label such cases as “dying” or “resuscitated”. This perception fosters sense of futility and devaluation of the resuscitated patients. Second, Nurses believe that even doctors, supervisors and colleagues share this view which results in less communication about the patient’s condition. Participants mentioned that doctors might perceive their frequent updates about resuscitated patients as an unnecessary burden. Furthermore, nurses’ limited communication skills and fear of being misinterpreted add to these barriers.

“Some physicians view these patients as “dying” and show no interest in updates. I have experienced this issue firsthand. When you call them about resuscitated patients they react angrily as if you are disturbing them“(P.2).
“I had a colleague who struggled to report to the physician. The patient was unstable, but due to her inability to deliver a clear report, the physician failed to grasp the urgency of the situation and neglected immediate treatment needs.” (P.6).

Physician dominance

Participants reported that the dominance of physicians and their lack of attention towards nursing care were other challenges in providing post-resuscitation care. Nurses consistently pointed out that due to the inappropriate and unexpected behaviors of physicians, they have lost their motivation to actively participate and take a leading in post-resuscitation care. They also mentioned that some physicians adopt a top-down approach, treating nurses as inferior. As a result, they disregard nurses’ input and exhibit inappropriate behavior. Some participants even stated that physicians attempt to interfere with independent nursing care and restrict the authority of nurses.

“Nurses often have valuable insights and opinions about patient care, but some physicians dismiss their views because they look down on the nurse. There are doctors who do not consider nurses as highly skilled and educated professional resulting in the disregard of their opinions.“(P.9).

Fear of violence

Nurses are prone to workplace violence because of the high responsibilities and additional stress imposed by the patients’ family members. Furthermore, during the post-resuscitation period, nurses may also face instances of violence from other medical staff members. Nurses often experience workplace violence in the form of aggressive explicit criticism and insults. This can occur horizontally from nursing colleagues or vertically from physicians or nursing managers and most violence is verbal in nature. However, there have been a few cases where nurses have also encountered physical violence from family members.

This situation arises due to the lack of understanding about the patient’s condition and the heightened stress experienced by family members. The resulting violence can instill fear in nurses, leading them to be hesitant in involving family members or providing information about a patient’s condition. Some participants stated that incidents of violence are more prevalent during the post-resuscitation period compared to other critical conditions, attributed to factors such as high acuity of the patients, intense concern from family members, and increased workload for the healthcare personnel.

“In some cases, nurses may even insult each other, questioning why certain care tasks are being performed. This creates additional pressure as supervisors have similar expectations from all staff members. It is indeed a challenging situation for everyone involved.“(P.16).
“During the resuscitation, family members are often not present. However, when they arrive and witness the condition of their loved one, their emotional response can increase the likelihood of violent behavior. Managing such situations becomes extremely challenging “. (P.5)

Organizational challenges

Two sub-themes were identified within this theme: lack of managerial support and role ambiguity.

Lack of managerial support

Lack of support from nurse managers has been identified as one of the significant organizational challenges during the post-resuscitation period. Nursing managers expect nurses to strictly follow physician orders without providing input on post-resuscitation care plans, resulted in limiting nursing authority and increasing physician interventions in nursing care. Additionally, nurse managers make minimal effort to reduce workload and expect nurses to handle all resuscitated patients as well as other cases without assistance. Interestingly, if nurses are unable to manage this heavy workload, they are accused of being incapable of providing adequate nursing care.

“Resuscitated patients often rely heavily on nurses for care. Unfortunately, managers have not adequately addressed this issue and expect nurses to handle it without assistance. As a result, the quality of care may be compromised and even be neglected at times.” (P.13).

Role ambiguity

Participants reported experiencing role ambiguity in post-resuscitation care, as they were unsure about their specific duties, which actions they could in dependently perform, and when they needed physician’s order. This uncertainty leaves nurses hesitant to take any action without physician’s prescription during the post-resuscitation period due to fear of potential legal repercussions. This becomes even more critical when the attending physician delays providing necessary orders, resulting in a lack of care for the patient during this time. This issue is particularly pronounced in teaching hospitals where certain tasks are delegated to medical students.

“I’m unsure about what tasks are within my scope of practice and what are not. The duties or responsibilities have not been clearly defined which is where the problem and confusion originate. For example, while reliable sources indicate that certain tasks fall under the nurses’ responsibilities, some physicians oppose or resist this notion. As a result, many nurses choose to refrain from taking action instead of engaging in arguments.” (P.12).

This study aimed to identify the challenges faced by critical care nurses when providing care during the post-resuscitation period. To our knowledge, this is the first study to address these specific challenges in post-resuscitation care provided by critical care nurses. Therefore, we primarily compared our results with those of studies focusing on resuscitation and ICU care.

Our results suggest that a lack of adequate clinical knowledge and experience poses a significant challenge for nurses in providing post-resuscitation care. The European Resuscitation Council and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine have published guidelines in post-resuscitation care in 2021 (latest edition) [ 24 ]. However, some studies showed that previous versions of these guidelines have not been fully implemented or followed in clinical settings [ 25 ]. The importance of clinical knowledge and skills as essential competencies for nurses has been well-documented in previous studies [ 26 , 27 ]. Nurses are often the first healthcare professionals to arrive at the patient’s bedside after a cardiac arrest and play crucial role in providing post-resuscitation care [ 28 ]. Therefore, it is imperative for nurses to have sufficient knowledge about cardiopulmonary resuscitation and post-resuscitation care. The Edelson et al. (2014) study conducted in the United States found that inadequate training of healthcare providers; nurses in particular, pose a significant challenge in improving the quality of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) [ 29 ]. Additionally, increasing nurses’ knowledge and education can lead to better outcomes for resuscitated patients [ 30 , 31 ].

A lack of reflective experience is another challenge during the post-resuscitation period. The nurses who participated in this study had extensive experience caring for resuscitated patients but did not find it beneficial. They believed that these experiences were not reviewed, and lacked reflection. Reflection serves as fundamental strategy for nurses’ professional development and enables them to learn through clinical care [ 32 ]. Results from a previous study showed that monthly case reviews is a key strategy for increasing nurses’ ability to successfully resuscitate [ 33 ].

Furthermore, the negative attitude of nurses and the healthcare system towards resuscitated patients was one of the major challenges in providing post-resuscitation care. Some nurses consider these patients to be educational cases that will ultimately die, and managers do not give them priority. Previous studies have demonstrated that healthcare providers stop caring in the post-resuscitation period in the absence of clear clinical evidence, [ 34 , 35 ] mostly due to fear of severe and long-term unfavorable neurological outcomes in patients [ 36 ]. Interestingly, in one study it was found that 19% of patients who experienced early withdrawal of life support therapies in the post-resuscitation period actually had a chance of survival [ 37 ]. in another study, it was shown that nurses’ attitudes towards resuscitated patients significantly affected clinical outcomes [ 38 ]. The negative attitudes of nurses and the healthcare system seem to be an important barrier to providing high-quality post-resuscitation care. Notably, no research evidence has been found regarding such negative attitudes towards resuscitated patients among healthcare providers or managers internationally.

In this study, lack of support from nursing managers was another major challenge for nurses in providing post-resuscitation care. Previous research has shown that there is variation between organizations in terms of resuscitation implications [ 39 , 40 ] several studies have reported that the nurse-patient ratio is an important factor in post-resuscitation care quality [ 41 ] and plays significant role in the outcomes of resuscitated patients [ 42 ]. Therefore, providing adequately trained staff and transferring resuscitated patients to the ICU are critical for improving patient outcomes, [ 43 , 44 ] which largely depends on managers’ performance.

Our results also showed that nurses were less willing to communicate with other nurses, physicians, and patients’ family members during the post-resuscitation period. This is mainly due to poor communication skills, inappropriate physician behavior, and fear of violence. This reluctance to communicate leads to a significant decline in the quality of post-resuscitation care as it results in delays or a lack of information about the patient’s condition. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a complex process that requires teamwork, inter-professional cooperation, and communication [ 45 ]. However, one study showed that even when resuscitation team members work together, they often lack the cohesion of a true team [ 46 ]. Previous studies have reported that effective communication is essential for successful resuscitation [ 47 ]. Moreover, effective nurse-physician communication is a crucial factor in reducing mortality in ICUs [ 48 ]. In an extensive literature review, no study was found that specifically investigated communication skills during the post resuscitation period. Regarding the fear of violence, previous studies have reported that nurses [ 49 , 50 ] and even staff working in a pre-hospital setting [ 51 ] were exposed to violence during CPR, and patients’ family members being identified as the main sources of such incidents. In one study, fear of violence emerged as a significant barrier to family member presence during resuscitation [ 52 ].

Weaknesses in time management and prioritization of care, along with role ambiguity, are additional challenges were identified by nurses in providing post-resuscitation care. Management skills are considered essential for members of the resuscitation team [ 47 ] as they play a key role in team’s success [ 53 ] and improving patient outcomes [ 54 ]. The importance of prioritization [ 55 , 56 ] and time management [ 27 , 57 ] has been emphasized in previous studies. In particular, care prioritization is crucial in post-resuscitation period when patients have multiple problems and the burden of care is high. Regarding role ambiguity, some studies have shown that nurses experience confusion about their role in critical situations such as resuscitation [ 58 ] and during the Covid-19 pandemic [ 59 ]. In this study, high levels of role ambiguity were observed, leading to passivity and reduced involvement of nurses in resuscitated patient care.

Limitations

The main limitation of this study is that it only focused on nurses’ experiences, and the opinions of nursing managers and physicians were not considered. To provide comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon, further research is needed to examine the experiences of these groups.Additionally, this study has a methodological limitation that should be taken into account when interpreting its results. The data collection method employed in this study was face-to-face interviews with the participants, which may have caused some participants’ experiences to be under-represent. Incorporating observation alongside interviews can enhance the validity of research findings.

Implications

The findings of this study demonstrate that improving the quality of nursing care during the post-resuscitation period requires addressing the challenges faced by nurses. Updated post- resuscitation care guidelines, regular clinical case reviews, and training in communication and management skills help enhance nurses’ knowledge in post-resuscitation care and improve their clinical, communication and management skills. Such training may indirectly influence nurses’ attitudes towards post-resuscitation care. The Implementation of an inter-professional training course not only improves the quality of nurses’ teamwork and leadership skills but also influences physicians’ attitudes. Nursing managers should be more supportive of their staff, provide nurses with more autonomy, define their role in the post-resuscitation period, and ensure adequate human resources are available to have a significant impact on the quality of post-resuscitation care.

Nurses experience many challenges at different individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels during the post-resuscitation period. They lack appropriate knowledge and expertise, sufficient communication, and management skills. Fear of violence, inappropriate behavior of physicians, and uncooperative co-workers resulted in nurses being reluctant to communicate. Lack of nursing management support and role ambiguity is another challenge for nurses. Finally, the negative attitudes of nurses and the health-care system towards resuscitated patients can lead to neglect of patient care. Addressing of these issues is crucial for improving the quality of post-resuscitation care. Moreover, conducting effective training courses to enhance nurses’ knowledge and clinical, communication, and managerial skills, emphasizing the support of managers for nurses, providing sufficient human resources, and clarifying their roles are of high importance in this regard.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from Azad Rahmani (corresponding author) by reasonable request. Due to the fact that the source of data in this study is a qualitative and confidential interview, it is not possible to send the files of the interviews, but the analysis can be shared without disclosing the identities of the participants.

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Acknowledgements

This article reports a portion of the results of a doctoral thesis in the Faculty of Nursing affiliated with Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. We would like to express our gratitude to all the nurses who took part in this study.

This study was conducted with no funding.

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Nursing faculty, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

Mahnaz Zali, Azad Rahmani, Hadi Hassankhani, Hossein Namdar-Areshtanab & Mansour Ghafourifard

Health faculty, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

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Nursing faculty, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran

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Contributions

Conception and design: MZ, AR, HH, HN, and NG interviews and initial data analysis: MZ critically revised and checked closely the proposal, the analysis and interpretation of the data: AR, HH, HN, and NG prepared the first version of the manuscript: MZ, AR, AA, and MG revising the manuscript critically: MZ, AR, AA, and MG All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Azad Rahmani .

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Zali, M., Rahmani, A., Hassankhani, H. et al. Critical care nurses’ experiences of caring challenges during post-resuscitation period: a qualitative content analysis. BMC Nurs 23 , 150 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01814-2

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