More intensive than long-term care, and less intensive than acute care, Subacute Nurses provide goal-oriented treatment for patients with AIDS, brain injuries, and more. As a Subacute Nurse, you’ll treat patients in need of 24-hour supervision, in subacute units of a hospital, or in a long-term care facility. You can treat patients of all ages, however the majority will be elderly.
Things You'll Do:
- Wound and pain management
- IV therapy
- Ventilator support
Your job characteristics:
- Multifaceted
- Structured
- Patient-facing
- Independent
How You'll Get There
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Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
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Pass YourNational Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN)
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You can start working as a Registered Nurse.
More about becoming an RN › -
You’ll need experience in acute care, taking continuing education courses in rehabilitation and pharmacology.
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Become aSubacute Nurse
More About this Specialty
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Meet
Craigread his story
Nurse Practitioner, RN
I already had a degree in biology, but while I was training to be an EMT I learned about nurse practitioners...
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Meet
KathyRead her story
Clinical Nurse Specialist, RN
I went to nursing school directly out of high school. At that time, women's career choices were limited.
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Nursing Notes Live
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Panel Discussion on Clinical Nurse Specialists and other Advanced Nurses.
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Where You
Can Workfind jobs- Subacute units in hospitals
- Rehabilitation centers
- Long-term care facilities
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What Else You
Can Expect- This specialty is a newer addition to nursing, and is expected to grow as the older US population increases.
- Subacute nurses help keep healthcare costs down since patients aren’t kept as long in a more expensive acute care setting.