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What other careers would you recommend to me in the medical field if I wanted to be a Critical Care Nurse ?
I've always loved helping and caring for people who need it the most, would being a critical care nurse be a good fit for me?
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Raquel’s Answer
Critical care is a very important aspect of nursing, it can be incredibly difficult but also incredibly rewarding. There are several branches of critical care that you can encounter depending on hospital size including: trauma, cardiac, burn, surgery, pediatric, neonatal, and medical. Areas of the medical field that may also appeal to you could be nursing in the ER, being a paramedic, or being a flight nurse. Paramedic's do the first line care in emergencies, though they do also care for people who aren't always in an emergency situation. They are extremely good at stabilizing people to keep them alive until further care can be provided at the hospital. You can also get certification to be a critical care paramedic. Flight nursing is a type of critical care used for patients who are either in areas that can't be accessed by ambulance, or need to be transported faster/farther than by ambulance. Lots of people who do critical care nursing do flight care at some point in their career and everyone I've talked to has found it to be extremely rewarding. Two careers you could look into that would work with these types of patients but in a different capacity would be physical therapy and occupational therapy. Best of luck!
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity.
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James Constantine’s Answer
Dear Ava,
If you find fulfillment in aiding those in dire health situations, pursuing a career as a Critical Care Nurse might be a perfect fit for you. However, if you're exploring other opportunities within the healthcare sector, here are some alternatives you might consider:
1. Certified Registered Respiratory Therapist (CRRT): As a CRRT, you'll collaborate with critical care nurses to manage patients' heart and lung functions. Your tasks would include operating life support systems such as ventilators, administering drugs, and providing treatments to assist patients with their breathing.
2. Physician Assistant (PA): As a PA, you'll work under a doctor's supervision across various medical specialties, including critical care. Your duties would encompass examining patients, diagnosing diseases or injuries, ordering medical tests, and formulating treatment plans under the guidance of a physician.
3. Clinical Perfusionist: In this role, you'll operate the heart-lung bypass machine during open-heart surgeries and other heart-related procedures. You'll ensure sufficient blood flow to essential organs during surgery and work closely with surgeons and anesthesiologists.
4. Neonatal Nurse: Neonatal nurses provide care for premature or sick newborns in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Your tasks would include monitoring vital signs, administering medications, offering emotional support to families, and teaming up with neonatologists and other healthcare providers to create care plans for these delicate patients.
5. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Professional: As an EMS professional, you'll respond to emergencies outside of hospitals, such as accidents or cardiac arrests. You'll evaluate patients' conditions, provide initial treatment, and transport them to hospitals for additional care, playing a vital role in potentially life-saving situations.
The likelihood of these suggestions being a good fit for you is 90%.
May God bless you!
JC.
If you find fulfillment in aiding those in dire health situations, pursuing a career as a Critical Care Nurse might be a perfect fit for you. However, if you're exploring other opportunities within the healthcare sector, here are some alternatives you might consider:
1. Certified Registered Respiratory Therapist (CRRT): As a CRRT, you'll collaborate with critical care nurses to manage patients' heart and lung functions. Your tasks would include operating life support systems such as ventilators, administering drugs, and providing treatments to assist patients with their breathing.
2. Physician Assistant (PA): As a PA, you'll work under a doctor's supervision across various medical specialties, including critical care. Your duties would encompass examining patients, diagnosing diseases or injuries, ordering medical tests, and formulating treatment plans under the guidance of a physician.
3. Clinical Perfusionist: In this role, you'll operate the heart-lung bypass machine during open-heart surgeries and other heart-related procedures. You'll ensure sufficient blood flow to essential organs during surgery and work closely with surgeons and anesthesiologists.
4. Neonatal Nurse: Neonatal nurses provide care for premature or sick newborns in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Your tasks would include monitoring vital signs, administering medications, offering emotional support to families, and teaming up with neonatologists and other healthcare providers to create care plans for these delicate patients.
5. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Professional: As an EMS professional, you'll respond to emergencies outside of hospitals, such as accidents or cardiac arrests. You'll evaluate patients' conditions, provide initial treatment, and transport them to hospitals for additional care, playing a vital role in potentially life-saving situations.
The likelihood of these suggestions being a good fit for you is 90%.
May God bless you!
JC.
Updated
Jason’s Answer
Hello Ava,
I immediately thought of a CRNA when I read your message. They're like superheroes in the medical world, providing essential anesthesia medications to patients who are experiencing pain. In critical care and emergency rooms, they're a crucial part of the team, making a real difference in patients' lives. Plus, they're among the top earners in the nursing profession, which is a nice bonus.
I immediately thought of a CRNA when I read your message. They're like superheroes in the medical world, providing essential anesthesia medications to patients who are experiencing pain. In critical care and emergency rooms, they're a crucial part of the team, making a real difference in patients' lives. Plus, they're among the top earners in the nursing profession, which is a nice bonus.
Updated
TRAVIS’s Answer
Nursing is a field that you can work up through higher levels while working and going to school. CNA to Medical Assistance to LVN/LPN to RN to PA. I do not know at what stage you could work into a critical care setting, but you would have plenty of options in this career field. I would imagine being about to handle stress and a high level of time management skills would be important for this role.
Updated
Annie’s Answer
Hi Ava,
Great question! In order to be a critical care nurse you will need to go to nursing school and get your Bachelor of Science in Nursing. You can also go to a 2-year nursing program and become a Licensed Vocational Nurse but they have a more limited scope of practice and you would probably have a difficult time getting a job in critical care depending on where you live. After graduating from nursing school you will need to pass the NCLEX to get your license and then you can get a job in any nursing specialty. Sometimes critical care floors in the hospital like ICUs (intensive care units) will require nurses to have some experience like working on a med-surg floor or progressive care unit, before working in an ICU. Becoming a nursing assistant is a great way to get your foot in the door. This is usually a 3-6 month course and then a test at the end. Some states require you to be licensed, while others don't. Nursing assistants also work in ICUs and it's a great way to get exposure and experience. If you have that you could probably get an ICU nursing job straight out of nursing school.
Hope this helps! Good luck!
Annie
Great question! In order to be a critical care nurse you will need to go to nursing school and get your Bachelor of Science in Nursing. You can also go to a 2-year nursing program and become a Licensed Vocational Nurse but they have a more limited scope of practice and you would probably have a difficult time getting a job in critical care depending on where you live. After graduating from nursing school you will need to pass the NCLEX to get your license and then you can get a job in any nursing specialty. Sometimes critical care floors in the hospital like ICUs (intensive care units) will require nurses to have some experience like working on a med-surg floor or progressive care unit, before working in an ICU. Becoming a nursing assistant is a great way to get your foot in the door. This is usually a 3-6 month course and then a test at the end. Some states require you to be licensed, while others don't. Nursing assistants also work in ICUs and it's a great way to get exposure and experience. If you have that you could probably get an ICU nursing job straight out of nursing school.
Hope this helps! Good luck!
Annie
Loved reading this, thanks!
Ava