Functions of nurse in ICU

An Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse is a registered nurse who specializes in delivering care to

patients in intensive care units of hospitals and healthcare facilities. Their duties include
evaluating the patient's conditions, administering treatment, and providing constant support
during recovery.

Duties and Responsibility of ICU nurse:

Specific critical care nurse or ICU nurse duties and responsibilities can include:

1. Monitor exact, detailed reports and records of critical ICU patient.

2. Monitor and record symptoms and changes in patients’ conditions and inform to
physician.
3. Order, interpret and evaluate diagnostics tests to identify and assess patient’s condition.
4. Carefully observe and document patient medical information’s and vital signs.
5. Document patients’ medical histories and assessment findings.
6. Document patients’ treatment plans, interventions, outcomes, or plan revisions.
7. Consult and coordinate with health care team members about whole patient care plans.
8. Modify patient treatment plans as indicated by patient’s response and conditions.
9. Monitor the critical patients for changes in status and indications of conditions such as
sepsis or shock and institute appropriate interventions.
10. Administering intravenous fluids and medications as per doctor order.
11. Monitor patients’ fluid intake and output to detect emerging problems such as fluid and
electrolyte imbalances.
12. Monitor all aspects of patient care, including diet and physical activity.
13. Identify patients who are at risk of complications due to nutritional status.
14. Direct and supervise less skilled nursing/health care personnel, or supervise a particular
unit on one shift to patient’s response and conditions.
15. Treating wounds and providing advanced life support.
16. Assist physicians with procedures such as bronchoscopy, endoscopy, endotracheal
intubation, and elective cardio version.
17. Ensuring that ventilator, monitors and other types of medical equipment function
properly.
18. Ensure that equipment or devices are properly stored after use.
19. Identify malfunctioning equipment or devices.
20. Collaborating with fellow members of the critical care team.
21. Responding to life-saving situations, using nursing standards and protocols for treatment.
22. Critical care nurses may also care for pre- and post-operative patients when those patients
require ICU care.
23. In addition, some act as manager and policy makers, while others perform administrative
duties.
24. Assess patients’ pain levels and sedation requirements.
25. Prioritize nursing care for assigned critically ill patients based on assessment data and
identified needs.
26. Assess family adaptation levels and coping skills to determine whether intervention is
needed.
27. Acting as patient advocate.
28. Providing education and support to patient families.
29. ICU nurse must be able to draw ABG Blood and interpret report correctly.
30. ICU nurse should have enough knowledge about GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale) and also
evaluation capacity of patient condition.

Bedside nurse

Intensive care educator

Case management

Unit/ Departmental manager

Clinical nurse specialist

Nurse practitioner