Often handed to AI
Task areas most often handled directively in observed AI conversations — candidates to delegate with light review.
- Compile and analyze data obtained from monitoring or diagnostic tests. · 1.0%
Critical Care Nurses
Occupation · SOC 29-1141.03
Provide specialized nursing care for patients in critical or coronary care units.
Also called: Critical Care Nurse Practitioner · Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) · ICU Nurse (Intensive Care Unit Nurse) · Staff Nurse · Certified Critical Care Nurse · ICU Critical Care NP (Intensive Care Unit Critical Care Nurse Practitioner) · Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse (ICU RN) · Newborn ICU RN (Newborn Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse) · Nurse · Pediatric Critical Care Nurse Practitioner · CCU RN (Cardiac Care Unit Registered Nurse) · CCU RN (Coronary Care Unit Registered Nurse)
Job family: Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-29-1141-03/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Keep a human in the loop
Task areas where a human was still judged necessary in a large share of observed conversations — not a safety ruling, an observed-need signal.
- Compile and analyze data obtained from monitoring or diagnostic tests. · 94.1% need a human
Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- About average employment outlook (+4.9% by 2034)
- 189,100 openings/yr
- Moderate AI exposure
- Observed AI use leans automation
- Median pay $93,600/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
46th-percentile task overlap — yet about 189,100 openings a year (+4.9% projected, BLS), and observed AI use leans 2059% copilot, not hand-off (AEI) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Moderate | 55th | 0.2 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Moderate | 48th | 0.6 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Moderate | 39th | 0.1 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.1), with simple added tooling (β 0.3), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.6). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
How AI is actually used in this job
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Compile and analyze data obtained from monitoring or diagnostic tests. | 10.1% | |
| Document patients' treatment plans, interventions, outcomes, or plan revisions. | 0.5% | |
| Document patients' medical histories and assessment findings. | 0.3% | |
| Advocate for patients' and families' needs, or provide emotional support for patients and their families. | 0.2% |
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | About average · +4.9% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 189,100 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 3,391,000 → 3,557,100 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Critical Care Nurses sits at the 47th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
25% mean task exposure (2025)
47th percentile of 427 placed occupations
+0 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing Professionals · 2221 | 25% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Working with AI in this job
How people actually apply AI to this occupation's tasks, from Claude.ai (Free and Pro) conversations in the Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15. This is one AI assistant's consumer sample — not all AI, not the whole workforce. Autonomy and the collaboration mix are model-rated estimates; figures below the sample floor are hidden.
| Augmentation vs. automation | 20.6% working with AI · 48.0% handed to AI |
| Most common way people use AI here | Directive · AI does it; you give the instruction |
| Typical AI autonomy | 3.0 / 5 · higher = AI acts more independently |
| Used for work (vs. personal / coursework) | 72.5% |
What people delegate to AI
The role's most common tasks in AI conversations, each tagged with how people work with the AI on it. “Usage” is the share of observed conversations, not of the job.
| Task | How | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Compile and analyze data obtained from monitoring or diagnostic tests. | Directive | 1.0% |
Where a human is still needed
Tasks where the model most often judged that a person remained necessary — a useful read on the current boundary, not a guarantee.
| Compile and analyze data obtained from monitoring or diagnostic tests. | 94.1% |
What people most often hand AI here
Example prompts phrased from the tasks people most often delegate to AI in this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index). Each shows the underlying measured task and its share of observed AI use. They are suggested phrasings of real tasks — starting points, not endorsed instructions.
-
Help me compile and analyze data obtained from monitoring or diagnostic tests.From: Compile and analyze data obtained from monitoring or diagnostic tests. · 1.0% of measured AI use · directive
Tasks
All 29 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Evaluate patients' vital signs or laboratory data to determine emergency intervention needs. Core · importance 5.0
- Monitor patients for changes in status and indications of conditions such as sepsis or shock and institute appropriate interventions. Core · importance 4.8
- Administer medications intravenously, by injection, orally, through gastric tubes, or by other methods. Core · importance 4.8
- Monitor patients' fluid intake and output to detect emerging problems, such as fluid and electrolyte imbalances. Core · importance 4.8
- Prioritize nursing care for assigned critically ill patients, based on assessment data or identified needs. Core · importance 4.7
- Compile and analyze data obtained from monitoring or diagnostic tests. Core · importance 4.7
- Conduct pulmonary assessments to identify abnormal respiratory patterns or breathing sounds that indicate problems. Core · importance 4.7
- Assess patients' pain levels or sedation requirements. Core · importance 4.6
- Collaborate with other health care professionals to develop and revise treatment plans, based on identified needs and assessment data. Core · importance 4.6
- Document patients' medical histories and assessment findings. Core · importance 4.5
- Collect specimens for laboratory tests. Core · importance 4.5
- Set up and monitor medical equipment and devices such as cardiac monitors, mechanical ventilators and alarms, oxygen delivery devices, transducers, or pressure lines. Core · importance 4.4
- Administer blood and blood products, monitoring patients for signs and symptoms related to transfusion reactions. Core · importance 4.4
- Advocate for patients' and families' needs, or provide emotional support for patients and their families. Core · importance 4.4
- Assess family adaptation levels and coping skills to determine whether intervention is needed. Core · importance 4.2
- Perform approved therapeutic or diagnostic procedures, based upon patients' clinical status. Core · importance 4.2
- Assist physicians with procedures such as bronchoscopy, endoscopy, endotracheal intubation, or elective cardioversion. Core · importance 4.1
- Supervise and monitor unit nursing staff. Core · importance 4.1
- Document patients' treatment plans, interventions, outcomes, or plan revisions. Core · importance 4.1
- Identify malfunctioning equipment or devices. Core · importance 4.1
- Identify patients at risk of complications due to nutritional status. Core · importance 3.9
- Assess patients' psychosocial status and needs, including areas such as sleep patterns, anxiety, grief, anger, and support systems. Core · importance 3.9
- Identify patients' age-specific needs and alter care plans as necessary to meet those needs. Core · importance 3.8
- Participate in professional organizations and continuing education to improve practice knowledge and skills. Core · importance 3.7
- Participate in the development, review, or evaluation of nursing practice protocols. Core · importance 3.5
- Coordinate patient care conferences. Core · importance 3.4
- Provide post-mortem care. Core · importance 3.4
- Plan, provide, or evaluate educational programs for nursing staff, interdisciplinary health care team members, or community members. Core · importance 3.3
- Ensure that equipment or devices are properly stored after use. Core · importance 3.2
Work activities
- Develop medical treatment plans.
- Check physical condition of people or animals.
- Administer basic health care or medical treatments.
- Provide basic health care services.
- Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment.
- Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.
- Operate diagnostic imaging equipment.
- Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
- Administer blood or other fluids intravenously.
- Administer non-intravenous medications.
- Administer intravenous medications.
- Interact with patients to build rapport or provide emotional support.
- Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.
- Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments.
- Treat medical emergencies.
- Evaluate patient functioning, capabilities, or health.
- Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
- Collect biological specimens from patients.
- Test patient heart or lung functioning.
- Record patient medical histories.
- Monitor nutrition related activities of individuals or groups.
- Assist healthcare practitioners during examinations or treatments.
- Examine condition of property or products.
- Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
- Examine medical instruments or equipment to ensure proper operation.
- Assess patient work, living, or social environments.
- Confer with family members to discuss client treatment plans or progress.
- Confer with other professionals to plan patient care.
- Maintain medical or professional knowledge.
- Establish nursing policies or standards.
- Conduct health or safety training programs.
- Train medical providers.
- Supervise patient care personnel.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
| Medicine and Dentistry | 4.7 | |
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.2 | |
| Psychology | 4.1 | |
| English Language | 4.1 | |
| Biology | 3.9 | |
| Mathematics | 3.8 | |
| Therapy and Counseling | 3.7 | |
| Education and Training | 3.7 | |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 3.3 |
Essential skills
| Monitoring | 4.1 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | |
| Active Listening | 4.0 | |
| Speaking | 4.0 | |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 | |
| Active Learning | 3.9 | |
| Writing | 3.4 |
Abilities
| Oral Comprehension | 4.1 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.1 | |
| Oral Expression | 4.0 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 4.0 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 4.0 | |
| Speech Recognition | 4.0 | |
| Speech Clarity | 4.0 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Written Expression | 3.9 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.9 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.9 | |
| Near Vision | 3.9 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.8 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.8 | |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.4 | |
| Speed of Closure | 3.4 | |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.4 |
Transferable skills
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 | |
| Service Orientation | 4.0 | |
| Coordination | 3.9 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 | |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.4 | |
| Instructing | 3.3 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Tools & technology
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 4 — Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- Preparation level
- SVP (7.0 to < 8.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
What to study: Health Professions and Related Programs . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| Bachelor's Degree | 50.0% | |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 35.7% | |
| Master's Degree | 10.7% | |
| Post-Master's Certificate | 3.6% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Work styles
| Cautiousness | 10.0 | |
| Intellectual Curiosity | 9.0 | |
| Cooperation | 8.0 | |
| Achievement Orientation | 7.0 | |
| Self-Control | 6.0 | |
| Stress Tolerance | 5.0 | |
| Empathy | 4.0 | |
| Perseverance | 3.0 |
Interest areas
| Health Care Service | 6.8 | |
| Social Service | 4.5 | |
| Medical Science | 4.3 | |
| Life Science | 3.3 |
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Social | 5.6 | |
| Investigative | 5.0 | |
| Conventional | 4.2 | |
| Realistic | 3.9 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $66,030 |
| 25th percentile | $78,610 |
| Median (50th) | $93,600 |
| 75th percentile | $107,960 |
| 90th percentile | $135,320 |
| People employed | 3,282,010 |
Wages and employment are reported by BLS for the broader occupation group this specialty belongs to (SOC 29-1141), not for the specialty alone.
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance · Sector | 2,790,380 | $93,170 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 134,180 | $95,870 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 105,740 | $96,220 |
| Educational Services · Sector | 89,070 | $74,360 |
| Finance and Insurance · Sector | 48,100 | $89,650 |
| Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers · National industry | 34,380 | $91,370 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 21,530 | $95,070 |
| Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities · National industry | 17,710 | $79,700 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 14,310 | $96,360 |
| Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers · National industry | 13,130 | $78,030 |
| Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities · National industry | 12,230 | $81,940 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities · National industry | 7,670 | $77,780 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance · Sector | 5.67× | 2,790,380 |
| Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers · National industry | 3.6× | 34,380 |
| Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities · National industry | 2.22× | 12,230 |
| Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers · National industry | 1.99× | 13,130 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 1.87× | 105,740 |
| Ambulance Services · National industry | 1.23× | 4,310 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities · National industry | 0.93× | 7,670 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 0.7× | 134,180 |
Related occupations
Part of the Healthcare & Human Services career cluster.
- Acute Care Nurses · 29-1141.01 Compare →
- Registered Nurses · 29-1141.00 Compare →
- Nurse Practitioners · 29-1171.00 Compare →
- Clinical Nurse Specialists · 29-1141.04 Compare →
- Paramedics · 29-2043.00 Compare →
- Respiratory Therapists · 29-1126.00 Compare →
- Nurse Midwives · 29-1161.00 Compare →
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses · 29-1141.02 Compare →
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses · 29-2061.00 Compare →
- Nursing Assistants · 31-1131.00 Compare →
- Emergency Medicine Physicians · 29-1214.00 Compare →
- Nurse Anesthetists · 29-1151.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Critical Care Nurses — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- Bachelor's degree · typical entry level
- Job zone 4 — Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed · preparation tier
- Health Professions and Related Programs · field of study
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 47th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Critical Care Nurses show 46th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 189,100 annual U.S. openings
- Critical Care Nurses rank in the 46th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 189,100 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be about average (+4.9%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $93,600, across about 3,282,010 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
- Of the AI use actually observed for this work, 21% looks like augmentation (drafting, iterating, checking) rather than hands-off automation — from a Claude.ai usage sample, not a census.2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2
Copy the whole kit
Critical Care Nurses show 46th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 189,100 annual U.S. openings • Critical Care Nurses rank in the 46th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 189,100 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be about average (+4.9%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $93,600, across about 3,282,010 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) • Of the AI use actually observed for this work, 21% looks like augmentation (drafting, iterating, checking) rather than hands-off automation — from a Claude.ai usage sample, not a census. (2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2) Source: Singulariki — "Critical Care Nurses". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-1141-03 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Critical Care Nurses." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-1141-03
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Critical Care Nurses. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-1141-03
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-29-1141-03,
title = {Critical Care Nurses},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-1141-03}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.