critical care nursing jobs with Pulse

To land an ICU nurse job, you need to obtain a qualification  that is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Once qualified and registered with the NMC, you can complete placements in ICU or high-dependency environments to gain some experience.

After gaining relevant experience, you can then apply to ICU nurse positions at hospitals and healthcare facilities.

A critical care nurse works with healthcare professionals  to assess, treat, and monitor critically ill patients. Common responsibilities may include taking vitals, setting up IVs, and administering medication. Often working in intensive care units, critical care nurses need more knowledge of specific critical care equipment, such as ventilators and dialysis, and specific documentation  than other registered nurses.

An important skill for a critical care and ICU nurse to possess include good attention to detail and excellent assessment skills, to ensure they can notice small changes in a patient’s state. Related to this, a critical care nurse should be familiar with the process of escalation to react and adjust patients’ care when needed. Additionally, good communication skills are key for a critical care nurse to be able to talk to patients that may be unstable and their families.

How much you can earn in the UK as an ICU nurse depends on a number of factors, such as location, organisation you work for, and the amount of experience you have.

The average salary for an ICU nurse in the UK ranges from £37,000 to £42,000, with most ICU nurses typically at band 6. This range reflects the average experience level of an ICU nurse. In more senior roles, such as in bands 7 and 8, salaries can exceed £50,000. However, these positions involve significantly greater responsibilities than those of a standard ICU nurse.

As an ICU nurse, you can advance through the NHS bands similarly to other nursing roles. Starting at band 5, you can progress to band 6 after approximately two years of experience, becoming a senior ICU nurse.

To move up to Bands 7 and 8, you will need to demonstrate strong team management skills and contribute to the overall management of the ward.