Nursing Practice Areas

Practice setting: Fast-paced, 28-bed cardiopulmonary inpatient unit

Patient population: You’ll care for acute and intermediate care (IMC) adult patients—primarily those with cardiac and pulmonary diagnoses, such as post-open heart surgery, post-thoracotomy, post-cardiothoracic surgery and those who have congestive heart failure or COPD.

Skills required: Nurses on the Cardiopulmonary Unit will:

• Be trained in IMC and ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support)
• Be proficient in telemetry and cardiac rhythm analysis, with monitoring at the bedside
• Provide patient education with a focus on rehabilitation and lifestyle changes or modifications

Practice setting: The Cardiac Cath Lab contains two interventional cardiology suites, one electrophysiology lab and a shared hybrid operating room suite. Here, you’ll play a critical role in assisting with complex procedures, monitoring patient vitals and providing essential support before, during and after interventions.

Patient population: As a Cath Lab nurse, you'll care for adult patients undergoing diagnostic and therapeutic, minimally invasive procedures to treat a range of cardiac conditions. These may include:

• Congenital heart problems
• Coronary artery disease
• Heart failure
• Heart rhythm disorders, such as atrial fibrillation
• Heart valve problems, including stenosis, weakened valves and damage from illness or defects

Skills required: Key skills include advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS), patient monitoring, technical proficiency with high-tech equipment, effective communication and keen assessment abilities. These skills ensure patient safety and successful outcomes in a high-stakes environment.

Practice setting: Our Level II ACS-verified trauma center consists of 45 patient exam rooms, including 10 urgent care rooms, five resuscitation/trauma/critical care bays and three dedicated behavioral health rooms. Nurses are part of a multidisciplinary team that includes emergency physicians, EMTs, paramedics, health unit coordinators, a pharmacist, psychiatrist, child life specialists and social workers. Patients have 24-hour access to laboratory, X-ray and surgical services. We are also a Stroke Center with 24/7 neuro-interventional capabilities and a Chest Pain Center with 24/7 interventional cardiac catheterization lab capabilities.

Patient population: You'll care for patients of all ages with acute or chronic medical or mental health needs. Patient volumes and key statistics from 2024 include:

• More than 68,000 combined emergency and urgent care visits (57% were emergency visits; 43% were urgent care visits)
• 27% of emergency care visits were admissions
• 17% of emergency and urgent care visits were pediatric patients (under age 18)
• 23% of emergency patients arrived by EMS
• 1,472 trauma activations/registrations

Skills required: Nurses in Emergency Services excel in a fast-paced and often high-stress environment. You should be a strong communicator who is proficient in multitasking, prioritization, delegation and critical thinking. ER nurses are also competent in:

• Triage
• Rapid assessment
• Peripheral IV insertion and management
• Blood draws
• Blood administration
• Medication administration, including PO, PR, IN, INH, IM, IV and IO
• Specialty equipment use

Furthermore, all nurses hold extensive certifications, including BLS, ACLS, PALS, ATCN, ENPC, NRP, Sedation, NIH/TnK Stroke Care and Decon/Mass Casualty readiness.

Practice setting: 20-bed, medical-surgical setting within the hospital

Patient population: You’ll care for a variety of adult patients, including those with conditions, such as respiratory failure, cardiac issues, sepsis, urological conditions, electrolyte imbalances and more.

Skills required: For success in this role, key skills include:

• Strong time management to care for a variety of populations in a fast-paced environment
• Collaboration as part of an interdisciplinary team
• Critical thinking skills, which are essential for caring for high-acuity patients

Practice setting: You’ll provide hospice care where the patient feels most comfortable and secure—whether they are at home, in assisted living, at a long-term care facility or in the hospital.

Patient population: As a hospice nurse, you’ll care for adults and children within a 50-mile radius of La Crosse, Wis., who have medical conditions that treatment cannot cure.

Skills required: Hospice care shifts from a focus on a cure to an emphasis on quality of life. As a nurse, you’ll provide:

• Symptom management and pain relief
• Caregiver training and support
• Care for patients within an interdisciplinary team, including a medical director, chaplains, social workers and home health aides

Practice setting: As a Hospital Float Pool nurse, you’ll be trained to work in multiple inpatient units, including medical-surgical units as well as specialty units, such as maternal child health, intensive care units (adult, pediatric and neonatal) and inpatient behavioral health.

Patient population: You’ll care for diverse populations, including adults, pediatric and neonatal patients, as well as those with mental health concerns.

Skills required: The Hospital Float Pool may be an excellent fit for you if:

• You are highly adaptable and embrace change
• You respond effectively to diverse patient needs
• You are proficient in various clinical settings

In this dynamic role, you’ll‌ work on different units, gaining new experiences and skills each day. Likewise, you’ll develop a broad range of skills and expertise, while making a meaningful difference in the lives of patients across our hospital.

Practice setting: Inpatient Behavioral Health is a two-story building with three units of varying acuity and age ranges, totaling 34 beds.

Patient population: You’ll care for adolescent and adult patients, ages 13 and older. To enhance your skills and understanding of diverse populations and diagnoses, you’ll rotate through each unit. This rotation model is also designed to help reduce burnout.

Skills required: To succeed, you’ll need:

• Empathy and the ability to build trust and rapport with your patients
• Excellent communication and listening skills
• Proficiency in crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques
• Patience, critical thinking and the ability to remain calm in crisis situations

We’ll provide development opportunities, including training for specialized roles, such as discharge nurse, charge nurse and behavioral response team nurse. Additionally, with plans to launch an EmPATH (Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing) Unit in 2026, you’ll be part of our reaffirmed commitment to improving the mental health of our patients and community.

Practice setting: 20-bed acute rehabilitation setting within the hospital

Patient population: You'll care for a diverse range of patients—from adolescents to the elderly—who have conditions such as stroke, spinal cord injury, amputation, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, joint replacement and multiple sclerosis. You’ll help patients with physical and cognitive disabilities achieve independence alongside their families and caregivers.

Skills required: You’ll use both medical-surgical and specialized rehabilitation skills while collaborating closely with patients, their families and caregivers to help them regain independence. As you advance in your skills, you may pursue certification as a Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN).

Setting: Interventional Radiology (IR) includes three labs, three procedure rooms, as well as three prep and recovery beds.

Patient population: The IR team performs minimally invasive, image-guided procedures to diagnose and treat diseases in nearly every organ system. Patients often include those with cancer, vascular disease and chronic illnesses. Many patients are referred from inpatient units, the emergency department or outpatient clinics.

Skills required: To succeed as a nurse in IR, you'll need a strong clinical foundation combined with technical and critical thinking skills. Key skills include:

• Managing moderate sedation and monitoring patients throughout their care
• Responding quickly to changes in patient status
• Providing effective patient education and preparation
• Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team in a fast-paced, high-acuity environment
• Demonstrating adaptability, attention to detail and a commitment to patient safety through advocacy and strong communication skills

Practice setting: As an IV Therapy nurse, you’ll provide care throughout the ambulatory and inpatient care areas on our La Crosse Campus.

Patient population: You’ll encounter patients with various medical needs who require vascular access devices, including peripheral IV and central venous lines.

Skills required: In this role, you will:

• Manage the care and maintenance of select vascular access devices
• Place peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) lines and perform apheresis following training
• Educate other nurses, technicians, medical students and healthcare providers on best practices, skills and techniques to access and maintain select vascular access devices

Practice setting: 24-bed inpatient hospital unit

Patient population: As a nurse on the Medical Oncology unit, you’ll specialize in providing:

• Holistic care for oncology and hematology patients receiving chemotherapy
• Palliative and hospice care for patients who may be facing end-of-life while respecting their cultural and individual preferences

On this unit, you will also care for patients with acute and chronic medical problems that involve renal dialysis, gastroenterology, endocrinology, dermatology, pulmonary, infectious disease and geriatrics.

Skills required: Medical Oncology nurses need excellent assessment skills and critical thinking skills as they collaborate on care decisions within an interdisciplinary team.

Practice setting: Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has 18 beds and one neonatal operating room—providing a highly specialized, family-centered environment for our tiniest and most vulnerable patients.

Patient population: You’ll care for critically ill or premature newborns (22 weeks gestation and greater) by providing specialized medical treatment and respiratory support, monitoring vital signs and administering medications.

Skills required: As a nurse in the NICU, you’ll need keen assessment skills and critical thinking skills as you collaborate in care decisions with an interdisciplinary team. Key duties and proficiencies include:

• Bedside procedures, such as starting IVs and completing medication calculations and administration
• Neonatal resuscitation
• Partaking in air and ground transports with the Neonatal Transport Team
• Supporting patients and families in end-of-life care

Practice setting: 24-bed inpatient orthopedic unit that specializes in elective joint surgery, trauma and podiatry

Patient population: You’ll care for a diverse population and range of ages, including patients who have:

• Undergone planned surgeries, such as hip or knee replacements
• Sustained injuries from accidents or falls, requiring surgical intervention for fractures or dislocations

Skills required: For success on the Orthopedics Unit, you’ll need to be skilled in:

• Providing care to patients with complex orthopedic needs
• Working effectively with a multidisciplinary team to ensure effective recovery and rehabilitation
• Demonstrating a commitment to patient-centered care

Practice setting: This unit includes 10 general pediatric beds and four pediatric intensive care beds. You’ll deliver family-friendly care alongside a multi-disciplinary team, including pediatric providers, social workers, child life specialists, chaplains, respiratory therapists, CNAs and physical and occupational therapists.

Patient population: In the general pediatrics unit, you’ll care for children with acute or chronic medical and surgical cases. Within the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), you’ll provide intensive care and close monitoring for children with conditions such as diabetes, cancer, respiratory diagnoses, surgical cases and more.

Skills required: To succeed, you’ll need strong communication and time management skills, as well as the ability to think critically and delegate effectively. You’ll often work with IVs, nasogastric and gastric tubes, foley catheters, wound vacs, high-flow nasal cannula and complex wound care/dressing changes. From admission through discharge, you’ll educate patients and families on topics such as diabetes management, oncology care and post-surgical recovery.

Practice setting: The Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), or recovery room, has 14+ beds.

Patient population: You’ll care for patients across all age groups, from infants to the elderly, and address their unique post-operative care needs.

Skills required: PACU nurses, also known as recovery room nurses, need a diverse set of skills including:

• Strong clinical knowledge to understand the effects of anesthesia and monitor for complications, such as respiratory distress and cardiovascular instability
• Strong assessment skills to evaluate the patient’s airway, breathing, circulation and neurological status
• Critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities to make quick, informed decisions in response to unexpected changes in the patient's condition

Practice setting: Our non-profit, private hospital dialysis division has five hemodialysis units, including the La Crosse main campus (inpatient and outpatient transition), Onalaska, Tomah, Viroqua and Prairie Du Chien; unit sizes and schedules/shifts vary. We also support patients doing dialysis in-home, using peritoneal dialysis or home-hemodialysis modalities.

Patient population: You'll provide dialysis care for patients of all ages and walks of life with kidney disease.

Skills required: To succeed, you'll need:

• Complex critical thinking to manage patient care and treatments, including infection assessment, vascular access surveillance, fluid monitoring, fall risk and anemia management
• Skills in patient assessments, nursing documentation, technical machine set-up and monitoring treatment
• Hands-on nursing practice skills, including central line access and arteriovenous fistula/graft cannulation and de-cannulation
• Knowledge of the renal water room system and ability to perform routine water testing
• Leadership skills to oversee a dialysis team, including delegation to licensed practical nurses and hemodialysis technicians

Practice setting: This dynamic 24-bed unit is home to a high-performing interdisciplinary team. As an Intermediate Care Unit, the team fosters a culture of collaboration and continuous learning. Clinical expertise is strengthened through shared practice, peer and leadership support​, and exposure to high-acuity care.

Patient population: You'll provide expert care to a diverse patient population, including those requiring medically managed digestive care and a wide range of surgical interventions, such as trauma, abdominal, vascular, urology, otolaryngology, bariatric and plastic surgery.

Skills required: On this unit, you'll develop advanced clinical skills and gain exposure to advanced interventions through hands-on experience with management of numerous surgical drains, catheters, nasogastric tubes, tracheostomies, ostomies, total parenteral nutrition (TPN), enteral feeding tubes, PCA pumps, epidural catheters, telemetry monitoring, wound vacs, and both simple and complex wound care and dressing changes.

Success in this environment promotes and demands strong clinical judgment, attention to detail​ and the ability to prioritize effectively in a fast-paced setting. Critical thinking, organization and time management are essential to delivering safe, high-quality care to the patients we serve.