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Acute Care Nurses

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

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Perform administrative duties that facilitate admission, transfer, or discharge of patients.
    • Assist patients in organizing their health care system activities.
    • Set up, operate, or monitor invasive equipment and devices, such as colostomy or tracheotomy equipment, mechanical ventilators, catheters, gastrointestinal tubes, and central lines.
    • Discuss illnesses and treatments with patients and family members.
    • Manage patients' pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, monitoring patients' responses, and changing care plans accordingly.
    • Set up, operate, or monitor invasive equipment and devices, such as colostomy or tracheotomy equipment, mechanical ventilators, catheters, gastrointestinal tubes, and central lines.
    • Assess the needs of patients' family members or caregivers.
    • Participate in patients' care meetings and conferences.
    • Collaborate with members of multidisciplinary health care teams to plan, manage, or assess patient treatments.
    • Perform emergency medical procedures, such as basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and other condition-stabilizing interventions.
    • Adjust settings on patients' assistive devices, such as temporary pacemakers.
    • Assess the impact of illnesses or injuries on patients' health, function, growth, development, nutrition, sleep, rest, quality of life, or family, social and educational relationships.
    • Distinguish between normal and abnormal developmental and age-related physiological and behavioral changes in acute, critical, and chronic illness.
    • Refer patients for specialty consultations or treatments.
    • Collaborate with patients to plan for future health care needs or to coordinate transitions and referrals.
    • Provide formal and informal education to other staff members.
    • Diagnose acute or chronic conditions that could result in rapid physiological deterioration or life-threatening instability.
    • Interpret information obtained from electrocardiograms (EKGs) or radiographs (x-rays).
    • Administer blood and blood product transfusions or intravenous infusions, monitoring patients for adverse reactions.
    • Participate in the development of practice protocols.
    • Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in acute care.
    • Manage patients' pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, monitoring patients' responses, and changing care plans accordingly.
    • Analyze the indications, contraindications, risk complications, and cost-benefit tradeoffs of therapeutic interventions.
    • Administer blood and blood product transfusions or intravenous infusions, monitoring patients for adverse reactions.
    • Order, perform, or interpret the results of diagnostic tests and screening procedures based on assessment results, differential diagnoses, and knowledge about age, gender and health status of clients.
    • Treat wounds or superficial lacerations.
    • Obtain specimens or samples for laboratory work.
    • Document data related to patients' care, including assessment results, interventions, medications, patient responses, or treatment changes.
    • Assess urgent and emergent health conditions, using both physiologically and technologically derived data.
    • Order, perform, or interpret the results of diagnostic tests and screening procedures based on assessment results, differential diagnoses, and knowledge about age, gender and health status of clients.

    Skills

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    Knowledge

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

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    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 79940/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 38.44/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 135,860
    • Yearly Projected Openings 7630

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Integrity
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Adaptability/Flexibility
    • Concern for Others

    Tools

    • Acute care fetal or maternal monitoring units
    • Anesthesia nerve block kit or tray
    • Apnea monitors
    • Arterial blood gas monitors
    • Arterial line catheters
    • Autotransfusion units
    • Bedpans
    • Blood collection syringes
    • Blood pressure cuff kits
    • Breast pumps
    • Bronchoscopes
    • Cardiac output CO monitoring units
    • Cardiac pacemaker generators or cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers CRT-P
    • Cast cutters or saws
    • Cast or splint carts or stands
    • Central venous catheters
    • Clinical incubators or infant warmers
    • Clinical trapeze bars
    • Crutches
    • Desktop computers
    • Diagnostic or interventional vascular catheters for general use
    • Electrocardiography EKG transmitters or telemetry devices
    • Electrocardiography EKG units
    • Electronic blood pressure units
    • Electronic medical thermometers
    • Electrosurgical or electrocautery equipment
    • Emergency or resuscitation carts
    • End tidal carbon dioxide monitors
    • Endoscopic hemostatic balloons or needles or tubes or accessories
    • Endoscopic instrument sets
    • Endotracheal or tracheotomy sets
    • Endotracheal tubes
    • Enema kits
    • Enteral feeding infusion pump tubing sets
    • Eye charts or vision cards
    • Finger ring removers or cutters
    • Flow sensors or regulators or components
    • Glucose monitors or meters
    • Goggles
    • Gurneys or scissor lifts
    • Intermittent positive pressure breathing IPPB machines
    • Intracranial pressure ICP monitoring units
    • Intravenous infusion pumps for general use
    • Intravenous or arterial catheter trays
    • Intubation forceps
    • Intubator components
    • Laboratory graduated cylinders
    • Lancets
    • Manual resuscitators
    • Medical acoustic stethoscopes
    • Medical aspiration or irrigation syringes
    • Medical exam or non surgical procedure gloves
    • Medical nasal oxygen catheters or catheterization kits
    • Medical or surgical suction or vacuum appliances
    • Medical oxygen masks or parts
    • Medical radiological positioning aids for general radiological use
    • Medical staff isolation or cover gowns
    • Medical staplers for external use
    • Medical syringes with needle
    • Medical tuning forks
    • Medical ultrasound or doppler or echocardiograph transducer
    • Medical ultrasound or doppler or echocardiograph transducer accessories
    • Medication or pill dispensers
    • Microscope slides
    • Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles
    • Mobile medical services spine boards
    • Multiparameter vital sign units
    • Nasal exam specula or dilators
    • Nasogastric tubes
    • Nasopharyngeal tubes or airways
    • Nebulizers
    • Non invasive bi level machines
    • Notebook computers
    • Ophthalmic irrigation or aspiration supplies
    • Ophthalmic slit lamps
    • Ophthalmic tonometers
    • Ophthalmoscopes or otoscopes or scope sets
    • Orthopedic splint systems
    • Orthopedic traction hardware or weights
    • Ostomy appliances
    • Otological instruments
    • Oxygen concentrators
    • Patient care beds for specialty care
    • Patient floor scales
    • Patient shifting boards
    • Patient stabilization or fall prevention devices
    • Perfusion oxygen or hematocrit saturation monitors
    • Pericardiocentesis needles or kits
    • Pleural cavity drainage units or containers
    • Pulse oximeter units
    • Reflex hammers or mallets
    • Skin staple removers or kits
    • Specimen collection container
    • Spirometers
    • Surgical clamps or clips or forceps
    • Surgical drains or drain sets
    • Surgical irrigation sets
    • Surgical isolation or surgical masks
    • Surgical scalpels or knives or blades or trephines
    • Surgical scissors
    • Surgical shave kits or prep razors or clippers
    • Suture removal kits or trays or packs or sets
    • Suturing kits or trays or packs or sets
    • Tablet computers
    • Tablet crushers
    • Therapeutic heating or cooling blankets or drapes
    • Thoracentesis sets or trays
    • Tongue depressors or blades or sticks
    • Tourniquets
    • Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation units
    • Ultraviolet UV lamps
    • Umbilical catheters
    • Urinalysis analyzers
    • Urinalysis test strips
    • Urinary catheterization kits
    • Vacuum blood collection tubes or containers
    • Vaginal exam speculas
    • Vascular or compression apparel or support
    • Walkers or rollators
    • Wheelchairs

    Technology

    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Medical software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

    • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.

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