An official State of Ohio site. Here’s how you know
Contact

Welcome,
New User

User: New User

Date: 06/16/2025

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.

View All

    Work Activities

    Work Activities

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

    Skills

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Troubleshooting

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

    • Monitoring

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

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Systems Analysis

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

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Equipment Selection

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

    • Coordination

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

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Operations Monitoring

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

    • Operations Analysis

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

    • Critical Thinking

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

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Active Listening

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

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Systems Evaluation

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

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Learning Strategies

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

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Complex Problem Solving

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

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

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

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Inductive Reasoning

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

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

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

    • Auditory Attention

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

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Rate Control

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

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Extent Flexibility

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

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Visualization

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

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Glare Sensitivity

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

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Reaction Time

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

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Multilimb Coordination

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

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

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

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Control Precision

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

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Response Orientation

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

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Gross Body Coordination

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

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Perceptual Speed

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

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Depth Perception

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

    Knowledge

    • 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.

    • History and Archeology

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

    • Telecommunications

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Transportation

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

    • 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.

    • Food Production

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

    • 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.

    • Production and Processing

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

    • Biology

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Fine Arts

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Design

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

    • Law and Government

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

    • Computers and Electronics

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

    • Sociology and Anthropology

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

    • 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.

    • Economics and Accounting

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Mechanical

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

    Career Video

    Video not available
    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    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.
    Need help on researching occupations and careers? Download the Guide to Researching Occupations (PDF).

    Need help on how to research education and training programs? Download the Guide to Higher Education (PDF).

    Budget Calculator

    Answer a few questions to determine your target salary. Use this target salary to help choose the right occupation for you.

    Lifestyle Calculator

    Answer a few questions to determine your target salary. Use this target salary to help choose the right occupation for you.

    Workforce Supply Tool

    Workforce Supply Tool

    The Workforce Supply Tool provides statistics for the occupations in highest demand throughout Ohio.

    You can view statewide statistics as well as more region specific information.

    Visit Site
    Powered By: