How do I become a intensive care nurse
Get qualified to work as a intensive care nurse with a course recognised across Australia. Speak to a training provider to learn more.
Related career opportunities
Browse occupations related to Intensive Care Nurse.
Common questions
The average salary for registered Intensive Care Nurses is $1,430 per week ($74,360 per annum). Increase your earning capacity by undertaking post-graduate qualifications in advanced clinical nursing, leadership, emergency and acute care nursing.
Courses.com.au Team
There are 325,500 Registered Nurses (RNs) currently employed in Australia, some of these are Intensive Care Nurses. They are employed by hospitals in the ICU, emergency and critical care wing.
Courses.com.au Team
You can launch your career as an Intensive Care Nurse with a Bachelor of Nursing, then registering with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Once you are a qualified Registered Nurse (RN) you will need post-graduate qualifications such as a Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing, Graduate Certificate in Acute Care Nursing, Graduate Diploma of Intensive Care Nursing, or Master of Advanced Clinical Nursing.
Source: Australian Government Labour Market Insights 2023
Courses.com.au Team
Further reading
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7th September 2021
Why is Nursing a Good Career Choice in Australia?
25th November 2022Intensive Care Nurse careers
Intensive Care Nurses are qualified RNs who provide nursing support and acute care to patients with life-threatening and dangerous conditions. They work in a team of specialist doctors, consultants, nurse managers and practitioners, and may care for patients who have suffered burns or trauma, newborn babies, people with heart conditions and chronic illness, and patients who need surgery.
As an Intensive Care Nurse you could be administering medication and intravenous fluids to a patient, recording and analysing the core vitals of a patient, reporting an anomaly to the doctor, updating patient records, checking ventilators and monitors to ensure they are working correctly, reassuring the partner of an unconscious patient, or just taking a self-care day to rest and rejuvenate.
Intensive care nursing can be highly stressful and to succeed in this occupation you must be clear-headed in an emergency, able to make sound nursing decisions, and have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
