Acute Care Nurses in California
Want to work as an Acute Care Nurses in California? Here’s what you need to know. Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required. Includes Clinical Nurse Specialists. Excludes “Nurse Anesthetists” (29-1151), “Nurse Midwives” (29-1161), and “Nurse Practitioners” (29-1171).
What do Acute Care Nurses Make in California?
The acute care nurses working in California, wages run about $140,330 per year (or about $67.47/hour).Earnings range from $100,120 at the 10th percentile to $208,880 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $100,120 | $48.14 |
| 25th percentile | $119,710 | $57.55 |
| Median (50th) | $140,330 | $67.47 |
| 75th percentile | $172,200 | $82.79 |
| 90th percentile | $208,880 | $100.42 |
The job concentration index in California compared to the national average — is 0.85, indicating fewer acute care nurses per worker than the national average.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, acute care nurses earn a median of $56,247 per year ($27.04/hour), higher than the California median.
Employment Outlook
National employment for 183,918 acute care nurses in the U.S.. In California alone, around 326,720 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 39,900 acute care nurses.
Top California Metros for Acute Care Nurses
These are the California metros with the most acute care nurses in California.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 107,340 | $133,440 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 40,750 | $188,020 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 34,570 | $130,160 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 27,660 | $133,090 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 23,400 | $169,210 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 21,460 | $208,940 |
| Fresno, CA | 10,440 | $126,630 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 5,430 | $128,520 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 5,410 | $127,510 |
| Modesto, CA | 5,260 | $169,460 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 5,100 | $131,840 |
| Vallejo, CA | 4,410 | $192,470 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 3,770 | $172,390 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 3,140 | $133,470 |
| Salinas, CA | 3,060 | $135,080 |
| Visalia, CA | 2,740 | $120,160 |
| Chico, CA | 2,490 | $141,720 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 1,950 | $133,470 |
| Redding, CA | 1,620 | $124,990 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 1,610 | $178,900 |
| Napa, CA | 1,570 | n/a |
| Yuba City, CA | 1,070 | $144,220 |
| Merced, CA | 930 | $126,880 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 810 | $130,740 |
| El Centro, CA | 610 | $118,580 |
Top States for Acute Care Nurses Employment
The table below shows the states where the most acute care nurses work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| California | 326,720 |
| Texas | 261,050 |
| Florida | 218,100 |
| New York | 204,120 |
| Pennsylvania | 146,840 |
| Illinois | 139,900 |
| Ohio | 138,360 |
| North Carolina | 108,510 |
| Michigan | 104,210 |
| Georgia | 97,410 |
| New Jersey | 95,150 |
| Massachusetts | 90,190 |
| Virginia | 77,420 |
| Missouri | 74,270 |
| Indiana | 68,950 |
| Tennessee | 67,990 |
| Wisconsin | 64,960 |
| Minnesota | 64,740 |
| Washington | 64,690 |
| Arizona | 64,430 |
Highest-Paying States for Acute Care Nurses
The highest-paying states for acute care nurses.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $140,330 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 |
| Oregon | $123,990 |
| Washington | $112,180 |
| Alaska | $110,690 |
| New York | $105,600 |
| District of Columbia | $104,550 |
| New Jersey | $102,730 |
| Nevada | $101,990 |
| Massachusetts | $101,970 |
Skills
Top acute care nurses skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
The abilities that matter most for acute care nurses, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Common tasks include:
- Discuss illnesses and treatments with patients and family members.
- Diagnose acute or chronic conditions that could result in rapid physiological deterioration or life-threatening instability.
- Perform emergency medical procedures, such as basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and other condition-stabilizing interventions.
- Assess urgent and emergent health conditions, using both physiologically and technologically derived data.
- Set up, operate, or monitor invasive equipment and devices, such as colostomy or tracheotomy equipment, mechanical ventilators, catheters, gastrointestinal tubes, and central lines.
- Document data related to patients' care, including assessment results, interventions, medications, patient responses, or treatment changes.
- Administer blood and blood product transfusions or intravenous infusions, monitoring patients for adverse reactions.
- Interpret information obtained from electrocardiograms (EKGs) or radiographs (x-rays).
- Perform administrative duties that facilitate admission, transfer, or discharge of patients.
- Obtain specimens or samples for laboratory work.
- Manage patients' pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, monitoring patients' responses, and changing care plans accordingly.
- Collaborate with members of multidisciplinary health care teams to plan, manage, or assess patient treatments.
Work Activities
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Getting Information
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
- Training and Teaching Others
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Working with Computers
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
Tools & Technology
Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: eClinicalWorks EHR software, Microsoft Access
What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?
Programs that train for this career include:
Related Careers
Other careers like acute care nurses include:
- Respiratory Therapists
- Registered Nurses
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
- Critical Care Nurses
- Clinical Nurse Specialists
- Nurse Anesthetists
Also Known As
Acute Care Nurse, Admission Nurse, Admission Nurse Coordinator, Cardiac Interventional Care Nurse, Cardiovascular ICU Nurse (Cardiovascular Intense Care Unit Nurse), Cardiovascular Surgery Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (Cardiovascular Surgery ACNP), Care Transitions Manager, Care Transitions Nurse, Charge Nurse, Chronic Condition Nurse, DSU Nurse (Day Surgery Unit Nurse), ICU RN (Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse), ICU Travel RN (Intensive Care Unit Travel Registered Nurse), MSN (Medical Surgical Nurse), Nurse.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 29-1141.01
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