What Is the Role of the Nurse in the Acute Care Setting?

An acute care hospital provides 24-hour inpatient care for short, significant episodes of illness, trauma-related conditions and recovery following surgical procedures. All acute care hospitals must provide 24/7 nursing care.

Types

• An acute care nurse might be assigned to a group of patients sorted by type of treatment, such as those needing back surgery; a specific health condition like diabetes; a body system, such as brain and spinal cord; or a well-defined population like pediatrics.

Settings

• An acute care nurse might work on a general unit known as a "med-surg floor" (the "g" is pronounced like "j") or on a specialty unit such as orthopedics.

Responsibilities

• Regardless of where she works, an acute care nurse assesses her patient to find what's wrong (such as confusion after surgery), makes a nursing diagnosis ("falls, risk for"), plans care (institute fall precautions), provides the care (assistance when walking), and evaluates the outcome (safe walking).

Considerations

• Acute care nurses are part of a multidisciplinary team that also includes physicians, dietitians, social workers and respiratory therapists. They must be autonomous clinicians, yet also collaborate with other team members to ensure quality patient care.

Salary

• According to payscale.com, the median salary for hospital-based RNs in 2009 ranged from $43,849 to $65,447 a year.