Entering the hospital at 6:40am, you walk in and make your way to the floor, a few minutes into your shift you hear the intercom buzzing" code blue, 1A, code blue 1A.” Almost immediately you hear the front doors of the floor swinging open and the staff members running in. Those staff members are those from the Intensive Care Unit or Intensive Care Unit Intensive care units are specially trained in the care of critically ill patients with special needs for in-depth monitoring. Critically ill patients are defined as those patients who are at high risk of actual or potential life-threatening health problems. the more likely it is to be highly vulnerable, unstable and complex, therefore requiring intense and vigilant nursing care (AACCN, 2016, para. 2) intensive care nursing is a highly respected job, but from this respect they derive many responsibilities and education as this job will continue to evolve over the years. In the event one decides that critical care nursing is where their future lies, you must first figure out where to begin your education. Prospective registered nurses must complete a graduate program that should include classes 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 wish to work in intensive care must obtain a bachelor's degree in nursing. The path from RN to critical care nurse can vary from state to state. For example, generally in Delaware you proceed up the chain. Perhaps starting with a Med Surg unit and then gaining experience in a progressive care unit before transitioning… halfway through the document… the bottom floor could have up to six patients. The nursing shortage is especially concerning in specialty areas such as the intensive care unit, which is why they have critical care nurses traveling across the United States (AACCN, 2016, para. 20). Quality nursing care is what saves lives, and under stressful conditions you are undermining its quality. Through the trials and tribulations of nursing school, testing, and licensing, becoming a critical care nurse is my ultimate goal. Education, climbing the totem pole, and determination to help others are all it takes to make those dreams come true. Millions of dollars are invested every day in expanding our medical world and I think that's what makes the job so much 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.