Acute Care Nurse Practitioners are dedicated to work in close proximity to the patients who are seriously injured or those requiring specialized services in trauma-related conditions. They provide critical care of the patients and carry out the treatment that a doctor has prescribed for the same.
Acute Care Nurse Practitioners take responsibilities to provide and coordinate patient care, perform diagnostic tests, assist doctors during surgeries, maintain the health records, educate patients, and most importantly, extend emotional support to patients and their family members so on and so forth.
They possess a wide range of Clinical knowledge and other skills such as a great deal of knowledge in life support skills, ability to make a diagnosis based on observations and data interpretation, communication and interpersonal skills to name a few.
Acute Care Nurses work in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, physicians’ offices, nursing homes, outpatient care centers, clinics etc. Their working hour is quite flexible. They have to work both in day and night shifts or periods of being on-call.
Education Requirements:
In order to qualify for the position of Acute Care Nurses, the aspiring candidates must have to earn Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and then earn a master’s degree in acute care nursing.
The course work of Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing program include Biology, Microbiology, Anatomy , Epidemiology, Advanced Pathophysiology, Physical assessment and Diagnostic reasoning, Advanced pharmacology etc.
The students may also go for higher studies like Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs or PhD in nursing for practicing this profession at higher level.
Licensure:
To practice as Acute Care Nurses, the candidates need to hold a license as it is mandatory in many states of the USA. The qualified nurses can obtain it through the National Council Licensure Examination, administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
Salary and Job Outlook:
The job outlook for Acute Care Nurses remains excellent across the USA. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the growth rate for job opportunities in this profession may rise thirty four per cent during 2012-2022. The average annual salary of an Acute Care Nurse was $92,670 in 2013.