Training to Work in the Intensive Care Unit

<h3 id="section---WhatKindsOfIntensiveCareTrainingProgramsAreAvailable">What Kinds of Intensive Care Training Programs Are Available?</h3> <p>An intensive care unit (ICU) is a well-oiled machine, staffed by a variety of different people that, together, complete a team specially trained in providing care to critically injured patients. As such, there are a variety of careers available to you, including acute care nurse practitioner, physician assistant, physician, surgeon and anesthesiologist. Each is integral to the running of an ICU. </p> <p>All of these careers require advanced degrees. Both nurse practitioners and physician assistants require master's degrees, and physicians, surgeons and anesthesiologists require not only a doctorate degree, but several years of on-the-job training as well. Additional specialties in critical care, acute care or emergency medicine are also available for all of these careers, often necessitating an additional residency or fellowship for specialization. </p> <p>Since all these careers require direct interaction with patients, very few, if any, courses are offered online. In all these cases, you will spend time directly in an ICU environment, which must be done in person. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td><b>Programs Available</b></td><td> Master's and doctorate degrees</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Prerequisites</b></td><td> At least some undergraduate education, preferably bachelor's degree; work experience for fellowships and residencies; licensure/certification in state where you practice</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Common Courses</b></td><td> Courses in specialty or subspecialty like cardiopulmonary, pediatrics, or shock-trauma; building on knowledge from previous medical study</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Career Prospects</b></td><td> After training and certifications, work in an intensive care environment including hospitals or private emergency facilities</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Median Salary (2020)</b></td><td> $111,680 (<i>for nurse practitioners</i>)*</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Job Outlook (2019-2029)</b></td><td> 52% growth (<i>for nurse practitioners</i>)*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---WhatAreThePrerequisites">What Are the Prerequisites?</h3> <p>All of these careers require you to have at least a few years of undergraduate education, if not an actual bachelor's degree. For example, you will need to be a registered nurse with the equivalent of a bachelor's degree before you will be able to be admitted to a graduate-level nurse practitioner program. In all cases, before you can be admitted to a critical care or emergency medicine specialty you will need to be accredited in the field of your choice. </p> <p>Most critical care residencies or fellowships assume you already have received your degree and may even have a few years of experience under your belt. Some programs require you to have a few years experience before application. Since many of these professions require you to be certified before you can be licensed in the state where you practice, these programs will also expect you to have passed your certification exams. </p> <p>Acute care nurse practitioner certifications are proctored by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (<i>www.nursecredentialing.org</i>) and physician assistant exams are run by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (<i>www.nccpa.net</i>). Physicians and surgeons must pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and may take an additional test from the American Board of Medical Specialties to be certified in a specific subspecialty. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatWillILearn">What Will I Learn?</h3> <p>While there is some variety depending on your specialty, you will learn how to work with patients that are critically ill or injured. You may be asked to offer an initial diagnosis and to begin treatment. You may also be in charge of a patient's care from the time they are admitted to when they are discharged, including creating care plans and updating them as necessary. You may be taught a subspecialty, such as cardiopulmonary, pediatrics, or shock-trauma. In all cases, the critical care or emergency medicine training builds upon your previous medical background. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatCanIDoWithMyTraining">What Can I Do With My Training?</h3> <p>Once you have completed your critical care training and passed any certifications (aside from the above, the American Board of Anesthesiology, American Board of Surgery and American Board of Internal Medicine offer critical care subspecialty certification upon completion of your fellowship), you will be able to begin work full-time in an intensive care environment, whether it is at a hospital or a private emergency facility. Depending on your specialty, you will be able to work unsupervised, whether it be performing emergency surgery, anesthetizing a patient, or prescribing medication.</p>