Top ICU Nursing Degrees
- University of Phoenix Click for Recommended Degree Program
- National American University Click for Recommended Degree Program
- Western Governors University Click for Recommended Degree Program
ICU Nurse Salary
Before going over the ICU nurse salary, you must understand that healthcare employment is considered by experts to be one of the most secure career fields today for several reasons. As medical research unlocks more and more important discoveries, highly-trained personnel will be needed to administer these new treatments. As time goes on and our population size increases, we find ourselves at the cusp of a massive number of baby boomers settling in for their retirement. Along with old age usually comes the need for increased medical care. It is just a simple fact of life. Analysts agree that the entire healthcare field can be expected to grow steadily in the short and even long term. Naturally, an element of competition arises. Hospital administrations and doctors will likely be willing to increase the salaries of some of their staff, especially to those who outperform their peers.
ICU Nurse Salary Ranges
A good example of an important healthcare position is an ICU nurse. An ICU nurse is a highly trained nurse who is mainly involved in an Intensive Care Unit where patients who require special attention and care are treated. An ICU nurse salary can be significantly higher than a traditional nurse’s salary for several reasons. They are usually caring for fewer patients but spend more time on each one and documenting every treatment and procedure. The ICU nurse salary can range anywhere from $55,000 to almost $75,000 a year, depending on the location of the job and the experience and education of the nurse. Locations in the Midwestern United States usually pay less while larger population centers like southern California and New York City have much higher salary ranges, often approaching $100,000 per year. More than half of ICU nurses have a bachelor’s degree and a third have at least an associate’s degree. Then to practice as a nurse, a student must pass a national standardized examination. As technology progresses, the route to become an ICU nurse continues to change. Online courses can help round out an nurse’s education. If online coursework is pursued, make sure the school is accredited and the credits transfer as distinct states and even schools have different standards.
Utilize the Available Resources
Whether you recently graduated high school or are a few more years down the road, if you are interested in pursuing a career as an ICU nurse, there are a lot of resources out there to look into. Simply put, society values a healthy population and there are many individuals and organizations that are willing to help students pay to complete a course of education towards a career in healthcare. One of the best things you can do is to contact colleges that interest you to get more information about the required courses, education tracks and even ICU nurse salary ranges to be expected. Many colleges can help put you in contact with scholarship organizations or resources to help you get a federal grant.
