An electrical switching apparatus comprising: a housing including a number of auxiliary pockets; a line terminal; a load terminal; separable contacts disposed on a conductive path between the line terminal and the load terminal; an operating mechanism structured to open and close said separable contacts, said operating mechanism including a trip bar; an electronic trip unit; a trip actuator assembly including: an actuator housing coupled to said housing; a trip actuator coupled to said actuator housing; and a connector structured to electrically connect the trip actuator to the electronic trip unit; and a current transformer assembly including: a rod-shaped conductor electrically coupled to the load terminal; and a current transformer disposed around the rod-shaped conductor, wherein the electronic trip unit is structured to electrically control actuation of the trip actuator, wherein the separable contacts, the operating mechanism, and the current transformer are disposed in an interior of the housing and the trip actuator assembly is disposed in one of the auxiliary pockets on an exterior of the housing; wherein the current transformer is electrically connected to the electronic trip unit via the connector, and wherein the current transformer is structured to sense a magnitude of current flowing between the line terminal and the load terminal and to provide the sensed magnitude to the electronic trip unit; characterized in that the current transformer assembly includes a flat conductor electrically connected between the load terminal and the rod-shaped conductor; the current transformer assembly further includes a temperature sensor structured to sense a temperature of the flat conductor, and wherein the temperature sensor is disposed on the flat conductor; and the electronic trip unit is structured to control actuation of the trip actuator based on the sensed magnitude of the current flowing between the line terminal and the load terminal and the sensed temperature of the flat conductor. a housing including a number of auxiliary pockets; a line terminal; a load terminal; separable contacts disposed on a conductive path between the line terminal and the load terminal; an operating mechanism structured to open and close said separable contacts, said operating mechanism including a trip bar; an electronic trip unit; a trip actuator assembly including: an actuator housing coupled to said housing; a trip actuator coupled to said actuator housing; and a connector structured to electrically connect the trip actuator to the electronic trip unit; and an actuator housing coupled to said housing; a trip actuator coupled to said actuator housing; and a connector structured to electrically connect the trip actuator to the electronic trip unit; and a current transformer assembly including: a rod-shaped conductor electrically coupled to the load terminal; and a current transformer disposed around the rod-shaped conductor, a rod-shaped conductor electrically coupled to the load terminal; and a current transformer disposed around the rod-shaped conductor, wherein the electronic trip unit is structured to electrically control actuation of the trip actuator, wherein the separable contacts, the operating mechanism, and the current transformer are disposed in an interior of the housing and the trip actuator assembly is disposed in one of the auxiliary pockets on an exterior of the housing; wherein the current transformer is electrically connected to the electronic trip unit via the connector, and wherein the current transformer is structured to sense a magnitude of current flowing between the line terminal and the load terminal and to provide the sensed magnitude to the electronic trip unit; characterized in that the current transformer assembly includes a flat conductor electrically connected between the load terminal and the rod-shaped conductor; the current transformer assembly further includes a temperature sensor structured to sense a temperature of the flat conductor, and wherein the temperature sensor is disposed on the flat conductor; and the electronic trip unit is structured to control actuation of the trip actuator based on the sensed magnitude of the current flowing between the line terminal and the load terminal and the sensed temperature of the flat conductor.