Arriving at the hospital at 6:40 a.m., you swipe your badge and head upstairs, just minutes into your shift, you hear the intercom buzzing “code blue, 1A, code blue “1A”. Almost immediately, you hear the front doors to the floor open and staff members rush in. These staff members are those in the intensive care unit or intensive care unit. ICU nurses are specially trained to care for critically ill patients with special monitoring needs. Critically ill patients are defined as patients who are at high risk of actual or potential life-threatening health problems. The more seriously ill the patient, the more likely they are to be very vulnerable, unstable, and complex, thus requiring intense and vigilant nursing care (AACCN, 2016, para. 2). Critical care nursing is a highly respected job, but with that respect comes a lot of responsibility and training, as this job will continue to evolve over the years. In the event that one decides that critical care nursing is where their future lies, you must first determine where to begin in your education. Future registered nurses must complete a graduate program that should include courses such as anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and other social and behavioral sciences. Students will also be involved in a clinical setting where they will explore core nursing topics such as ethics, mental health and pharmacology. Nurses who want to work in critical care must obtain a bachelor's degree in nursing. The path from registered nurse to critical care nurse can vary from state to state. For example, typically in Delaware you move up the chain. Perhaps start in a Med Surg unit, then gain some experience in a progressive care unit before transitioning...... middle of paper ...... lower floor could accommodate up to six patients. The nursing shortage is particularly concerning in specialty areas such as critical care, which is why critical care nurses are moving across the United States (AACCN, 2016, paragraph 20). Quality nursing care is what saves lives, and under stressful conditions you weaken quality. Through the trials and tribulations of nursing school, testing, and becoming licensed, becoming a critical care nurse is my ultimate goal. Education, climbing the totem pole, and a determination to help others are all it takes to make these dreams come true. Millions of dollars are being invested every day into expanding our medical world, and I think that's what makes this work even more interesting. Critical care nursing always will be and will continue to evolve as we solve problems to create better patient and career satisfaction for nursing as a whole..