Locate Acute Care Nurse, Acute Care Nursing Schools, Training, Jobs, and Careers

What is Acute Care Nurse?
One of the most rewarding careers in the health sector is nursing. Those that choose this career are able to help people at their most vulnerable moments, thus giving them the necessary care and assistance they need when they fall ill. Being an acute care nurse in the US is more prestigious than being a registered nurse.

An Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) is more than just an ordinary registered nurse. The ACNP is a nurse who offers care and treatment to patients who suffer from illnesses classified as short-term but severe or acute. They offer their services in the fast-paced settings of major hospitals such as the emergency rooms, Intensive Care Units (ICUs) or any short-term facilities.

Some of their duties include:

1. Providing treatment to acute or short term patients while offering general care to them
2. Helping with medication
3. Carrying out tests on patients
4. Offering counseling to both the patients and their families
5. Performing advanced, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
6. Occasionally, they may serve as case managers or team leaders
7. Etc.

How to Become Acute Care Nurse:
To become a qualified acute care nurse practitioner, one must first complete a degree in nursing, and be licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN). After a few years of practicing, most RNs opt to return to class to pursue an advanced degree in nursing, thereby becoming an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (APN), like acute care nursing. APNs are expert nurses with masters or doctorate kind of training that enables them offer services often provided by physicians.

Before becoming a certified acute care nurse practitioner, one needs to meet certain requirements:

• Complete a Masters of Science degree in Nursing: Part of the coursework involves specialized ACN practitioner studies. This course takes about 2 years with the nurse taking 40hours of coursework and hundreds more of clinical study.

• Complete a one year of Post-Masters program in order to obtain ACNP certification.

• Finally, obtain certification from the State Board of Nursing or get a national certification from agencies such as American Nurses Credentialing Centre and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

Acute Care Nurse Salary:
The educational qualifications, experience, and certifications a nurse acquires has a bearing on the career opportunities available to him/her. It also translates to better pay. Our salary search on Indeed.com showed the median salaries of ACNPs are about $80,000 annually. This is about $20,000 more than what RNs make within the same period. It is no wonder then that many RNs are opting to return to class to improve their skills.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that in the next 10 years the demand for acute care nurse practitioners will increase considerably. This is occasioned by the current crisis in the US health sector. More and more people, who are either underinsured or uninsured, prefer to seek treatment in emergency rooms and any other acute care environment at lower costs than those charged by physicians. This, coupled with a shortage of nurses, makes the services offered by ACNPs critical to the functioning of the healthcare system. Being an ACNP is therefore both fulfilling and promising career, both now and in the future.

Acute Care Nurse School:
If you are looking for schools that offer acute care nursing programs, visit the nursing training website. There, you will find schools in our area or online. You should request for the free information offered. You can go there by clicking this link.



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