Intermediate care nurses, also called progressive care nurses, are registered nurses who care for patients that require a higher level of care than is provided in a general medical-surgical unit, but don’t require the level of care received in an intensive care unit. Intermediate care units are often referred to as step-down units because patients are often “stepping down”, or transitioning, from the ICU until they’re stable enough to be moved to a med-surg unit or skilled long-term care facility.
The National Telemetry Association reports that demand in this nursing specialty is growing rapidly because progressive care units are relatively new and highly specialized. There is also a shortage of nurses pursuing certification in this field.
Intermediate care nurse salary
Intermediate care registered nurses on staff earn a median wage of $76,300 annually, as of July 2020. This works out to about $1,467 per week and $36.68 hourly, based on a 40-hour work week. NurseFly data show intermediate travel nurses earned a gross average salary of $1,639 per week in 2019. This includes tax-free compensation like stipends for housing, meals, and incidental expenses. With this additional compensation, many travel immediate care nurses can expect to earn more than equivalent staff nurses.
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Intermediate Care Nurse FAQs
What are the best agencies for Intermediate Care Nurse jobs?
The agencies on NurseFly that currently have the most Intermediate Care Nurse jobs are MedPro Healthcare Staffing (535), American Mobile Healthcare (426), and OneStaff Medical (282).
How Much Do Intermediate Care Nurse Jobs Pay?
For jobs available on NurseFly as of Friday, February 26th 2021, the average weekly pay for Intermediate Care Nurse jobs is $2,309, but can pay up to $5,916 per week. In 2021, Progressive Care Nurses jobs on Nursefly paid a gross average weekly pay of $1,790 per week working an average of 36 hours per week. This includes non-taxable compensation like living stipends, meal stipends, and housing which add up to an average value of $1,183 per week.
- min - $637
- avg - $2,309
- max - $5,916
What does an intermediate care nurse do?
Intermediate care nurses frequently care for three or four patients at a time and must check on them hourly. They closely monitor their patients’ vital signs, pain levels, consciousness, and wound sites, if applicable. They may change bandages or administer pain medication, immediately notifying a patient’s doctor if a change in health occurs. Other common tasks include airway management, ventilator support, cardiac telemetry to monitor heart function, administering titratable IV infusions, inserting maintaining chest tubes, and central IV lines.
How to become an intermediate care travel nurse?
Candidates must first become certified registered nurses, which involves earning an associate or bachelor’s degree from an accredited nursing program, passing the NCLEX exam and fulfilling state licensing requirements. Further certification requirements include Basic Life Support for Healthcare Professionals and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support with Progressive Care Certified Nurse credentialing and certification in telemetry preferred. Most facilities require travel IMCU nurses to have one to two years of recent experience in acute care and/or acute care telemetry.
What skills make a good intermediate care nurse?
IMCU nurses must have well-rounded nursing skills to care for a variety of patients’ needs in any stepdown unit within the hospital. It’s essential they have solid critical care skills to quickly analyze vitals and react to potentially life-threatening situations. Essential technical skills include advanced knowledge of cardiovascular health, vital sign monitoring, wound dressing, medication dose titration, EKG and echocardiogram monitoring if on a telemetry unit, and detailed record-keeping.
One of the most important skills for an intermediate care nurse is to be able to identify when the patient needs a higher level of care. Expert communication skills between doctors, medical staff, and patients’ family members is also needed.
Where do intermediate care nurses work?
Intermediate care nurses typically work on step down units in a hospital setting. Many hospitals have stepdown units offering levels of care between the ICU and med-surg unit and between the NICU and pediatric ward. Intermediate care may also be provided near the emergency department or postoperative recovery rooms.
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