(Career Asssessments, Exploration & Counselling)
Career: Acute Care Nurses
Job Description
Provide advanced nursing care for patients with acute conditions such as heart attacks, respiratory distress syndrome, or shock. May care for pre- and post-operative patients or perform advanced, invasive diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.
Job Tasks
Importance %age |
Task Description |
100
|
Perform emergency medical procedures, such as basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and other condition stabilizing interventions. |
100
|
Document data related to patients' care including assessment results, interventions, medications, patient responses, or treatment changes. |
100
|
Manage patients' pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, monitoring patients' responses, and changing care plans accordingly. |
100
|
Administer blood and blood product transfusions or intravenous infusions, monitoring patients for adverse reactions. |
100
|
Assess urgent and emergent health conditions using both physiologically and technologically derived data. |
100
|
Interpret information obtained from electrocardiograms (EKGs) or radiographs (x-rays). |
100
|
Set up, operate, or monitor invasive equipment and devices such as colostomy or tracheotomy equipment, mechanical ventilators, catheters, gastrointestinal tubes, and central lines. |
100
|
Discuss illnesses and treatments with patients and family members. |
100
|
Collaborate with members of multidisciplinary health care teams to plan, manage, or assess patient treatments. |
100
|
Obtain specimens or samples for laboratory work. |
100
|
Assist patients in organizing their health care system activities. |
100
|
Assess the impact of illnesses or injuries on patients' health, function, growth, development, nutrition, sleep, rest, quality of life, or family, social and educational relationships. |
100
|
Treat wounds or superficial lacerations. |
100
|
Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in acute care. |
100
|
Assess the needs of patients' family members or caregivers. |
100
|
Participate in patients' care meetings and conferences. |
100
|
Provide formal and informal education to other staff members. |
100
|
Perform administrative duties that facilitate admission, transfer, or discharge of patients. |
100
|
Participate in the development of practice protocols. |
95
|
Collaborate with patients to plan for future health care needs or to coordinate transitions and referrals. |
95
|
Analyze the indications, contraindications, risk complications, and cost-benefit tradeoffs of therapeutic interventions. |
95
|
Distinguish between normal and abnormal developmental and age-related physiological and behavioral changes in acute, critical, and chronic illness. |
85
|
Order, perform, or interpret the results of diagnostic tests and screening procedures based on assessment results, differential diagnoses, and knowledge about age, gender and health status of clients. |
80
|
Diagnose acute or chronic conditions that could result in rapid physiological deterioration or life-threatening instability. |
75
|
Refer patients for specialty consultations or treatments. |
55
|
Adjust settings on patients' assistive devices such as temporary pacemakers. |
20
|
Prescribe medications and observe patients' reactions, modifying prescriptions as needed. |
10
|
Coordinate billing activities with supervising physicians. |
Work Activities
Importance %age |
Activity Description |
88
|
Assisting and Caring for Others
|
86
|
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
|
84
|
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
|
82
|
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
|
81
|
Getting Information
|
79
|
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
|
79
|
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
|
74
|
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
|
73
|
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
|
71
|
Handling and Moving Objects
|
71
|
Coaching and Developing Others
|
71
|
Processing Information
|
69
|
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
|
69
|
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
|
69
|
Documenting/Recording Information
|
68
|
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
|
67
|
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
|
66
|
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
|
65
|
Training and Teaching Others
|
63
|
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
|
63
|
Thinking Creatively
|
61
|
Analyzing Data or Information
|
59
|
Interacting With Computers
|
59
|
Scheduling Work and Activities
|
58
|
Controlling Machines and Processes
|
57
|
Developing Objectives and Strategies
|
57
|
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
|
57
|
Developing and Building Teams
|
56
|
Performing General Physical Activities
|
55
|
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People
|
54
|
Staffing Organizational Units
|
54
|
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
|
53
|
Monitoring and Controlling Resources
|
50
|
Performing Administrative Activities
|
49
|
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
|
49
|
Provide Consultation and Advice to Others
|
33
|
Selling or Influencing Others
|
21
|
Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment
|
19
|
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
|
15
|
Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
|
15
|
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
|