Acute care nursing is a field of medical care that was often believed to be little more than a way for nurses to gain experience before moving on two other more specialized jobs.  It was often thought that the ideal long-term career that most nurses wanted to achieve was in a private practice or clinic setting.  The truth is, however, that many nurses have found working with emergency patients and patience dealing with chronic illnesses to be incredibly rewarding and satisfying.  Working in the emergency department of a hospital can be very demanding and stressful but the nurses that choose these careers make it possible for doctors to save the lives of thousands of people every day.  They possess excellent skills when it comes to communicating the needs of the patient as well as the necessary eye for detail required when following the directions of doctors.

There are other departments where acute care nursing staff is necessary and irreplaceable.  The surgery department of any hospital requires these nurses to help prepare patients for surgery as well as to assist doctors during a procedure and provide comprehensive care during the recovery process.  They can also be instrumental in rehabilitation after a surgical procedure.  These nurses are not only a vital component of the surgical team but can receive excellent compensation for their work.  They may be required to work a demanding schedule, but there's also quite a bit of flexibility in the scheduling that many of these nurses have come to appreciate and rely on.

The neonatal unit of the hospital is another area where acute care nursing provides vital support and care.  Nurses that work in these units can expect to receive a higher reimbursement rate due to the higher risks involved with caring for premature babies.  Nurses that work in the neonatal unit may make as much as $80,000 a year or more depending on their experience and education.  Likewise, nurses that work in a specialized setting can also expect to receive a higher wage than the nurses that work in other areas.  These highly skilled and qualified individuals work hard for every penny they make and the units in which they work could not function properly without them.

Acute care nursing may not be the first choice for a lot of people due to the high stress and demands associated with this type of work.  However, nurses that are comfortable in these settings can expect to make anywhere from 70 to 85,000 dollars a year in a highly rewarding field.  Without these caring and professional individuals, a patient's care would be highly compromised.  It is the nurses in these units that provide the one on one treatment for patients on a daily basis.  Acute care nurses are well equipped to respond quickly to the changing circumstances in some of the most demanding departments in the hospital system.  While the doctors may get all the glory, it is the nurses that make a real difference in the lives of patients everywhere.