Critical Care CNS Degrees Online

Consider one of the following online programs currently taking applications now:

View more online featured programs:

• Bachelor's Programs
• Master's Programs
• Doctorate Programs

We found 5 nursing schools with Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist programs in our database. You may consider viewing Clinical Nurse Specialist programs (without any specialty), then speaking with the university admissions department to see which critical care classes they may have.What is a Critical Care Nurse?
Critical care nurses care for the sickest patients in the hospital, often only one or two at a time. Some larger hospitals will further break down their critical care units by specialty or age: Medical Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Surgical ICU, Pediatric ICU and Cardiac ICU to name a few.

View more online featured programs:

• Bachelor's Programs
• Master's Programs
• Doctorate Programs

Many smaller hospitals will combine all critical patients in one large intensive care unit. In addition to workingin anICU, critical care nurses work in emergency rooms, on medical transport teams and with the military on the battlefield.

Patients on these units often require a great deal of care, so critical care nurses learn a considerable amount of advanced monitoring and therapeutic skills. Many nurses report that working in this setting is very stressful because of how quickly a patients status can deteriorate.

Written by Nicole Galan, RN

The Critical Care Environment

Advanced technological equipment is often utilized in the critical care environment. Nurses will learn to be proficient in mechanical ventilators, intra-aortic balloon pumps, arterial lines, ventricular assist devices (LVAD and RVAD), and other hemodynamic monitoring systems. Since these devices arent taught in most nursing programs, training is provided on the job. Ongoing education is necessary for nurses to keep their skills up to date.

General medical or surgical nursing experience is usually required before progressing to the critical care unit, though in some situations, entry-level nurses will begin working in critical care.

Find a Clinical Nurse Specialist or MSN Specialty Program

Use the below tool by clicking on each tab to quickly find MSN programs in your state, or to search accredited online MSN programs that are currently accepting applicants into their program. Note that all of the programs we have listed are sponsored programs and they may require an RN license to be accepted into their program.

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List of Featured CCNE or ACEN Accredited Online Programs

The following programs are entirely online CCNE or ACEN accredited programs (we have verified but you should also verify when you talk to them), and are currently accepting applicants. [business_directory category="ccne, acen" text="description" display="url" level="super" status="msn" single_link="no"] [business_directory category="ccne, acen" text="description" display="url" level="super2" status="msn" single_link="no"] [business_directory category="ccne, acen" text="description" display="url" level="content-f1, content-f2, content-f3" status="msn" single_link="no"] [/su_tab] [su_tab title="Search Online Programs"]

List of Featured Online RN to BSN Programs

The following programs are entirely online and are currently accepting applicants. [business_directory category="online" text="description" display="url" level="super" status="msn" single_link="no"] [business_directory category="online" text="description" display="url" level="super2" status="msn" single_link="no"] [business_directory category="online" text="description" display="url" level="content-f1, content-f2, content-f3" status="msn" single_link="no"] [/su_tab] [/su_tabs]

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Organizations Dedicated to Critical Care

The American Association of Critical Care Nurses offers several certification programs, depending on which patient population you work with and the subspecialty in which you practice. There are specific eligibility requirements that must be met to sit for the exam. Certification is not required to work as a critical care nurse and can be difficult to obtain.

Organizations like the National Flight Nurses Association and The Emergency Nurses Association can provide standards and guidance to nurses working or interested in working in those sub-specialties as well.

List of Critical Care CNS Programs

List of Critical Care CNS Programs

All Critical Care CNS Programs

See below for the list of all of the Critical Care CNS programs in our database.