How to become an acute care nurse

$97,550 median annual pay

Half of the people in this job earn more than the median and half earn less. Pay varies with location, industry and experience.

Median pay for Registered Nurses, BLS, May 2025.

People in this job provide advanced nursing care for patients with acute conditions such as heart attacks, respiratory distress syndrome, or shock. They may also care for pre- and post-operative patients or perform advanced, invasive diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.

• Talk with patients and families about illnesses and treatments.
• Diagnose acute or chronic conditions that could cause rapid decline or life-threatening instability.
• Perform emergency procedures like BLS, ACLS, and other stabilizing interventions.
• Assess urgent and emergent health conditions using physiological and technology-based data.
• Set up, run, or monitor invasive equipment such as ventilators, catheters, and central lines.
• Record assessments, interventions, medications, patient responses, and treatment changes.

Start with an entry exam, then add more as your role grows.

1. 1

   Entry

   For people just starting out.

   • ATI ATI TEAS TEAS exam prep 490 practice questions →
   • NCSBN National Council Licensure Examination - NCLEX-RN NCLEX-RN exam prep 860 practice questions →
2. 2

   Intermediate

   For people with some hands-on experience.

   • AACN CCRN (Adult) - Direct Care Eligibility Pathway CCRN exam prep 150 practice questions →