Critical Care Nurses

Nursing specialties will be in great demand in the future. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates the employment of all registered nurses will grow faster than the average for all careers through 2033. According to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, a growing number of hospitals are experiencing a shortage of critical care nurses. The pandemic also had a deep impact on the critical care nursing field, causing many nurses to leave the field for other careers or retire early due to burnout from the long work hours and stress. The nursing shortage has since continued. Many hospitals needing critical care nurses are offering incentives such as sign-on bonuses.

The most critical shortages are in areas that require nurses with experience and highly specialized skills. The highest increase in demand is for those critical care nurses who specialize in a specific area of care, such as cardiovascular ICU, pediatric and neonatal ICU, and open-heart recovery units. Job opportunities vary across the country and may be available in all geographic areas and in large and small hospitals.