Critical care nurse vs surgical nurse

The differences between critical care nurses and surgical nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a critical care nurse has an average salary of $76,788, which is higher than the $64,025 average annual salary of a surgical nurse.

The top three skills for a critical care nurse include patients, BLS and acls. The most important skills for a surgical nurse are patients, BLS, and acute care.

Critical care nurse vs surgical nurse overview

	Critical Care Nurse	Surgical Nurse
Yearly salary	$76,788	$64,025
Hourly rate	$36.92	$30.78
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	594,859	638,444
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	2

What does a critical care nurse do?

A critical care nurse is responsible for providing quality care for patients confined in the intensive care unit of a health care facility. Critical care nurses maintain an organized medical chart to report the patient's condition to an attending physician and other medical professionals. They also administer medication, regularly check the patient's vital signs, and assist the doctors in conducting medical procedures and laboratory examinations. A critical care nurse also suggests care plans for the patients, especially during discharge, to ensure total recovery.

What does a surgical nurse do?

Generally, a surgical nurse provides patient care before, during, and after surgery. Surgical nurses assist the surgeons and anesthetists whenever necessary. They prepare patients for their surgery and serve the actual procedure. It is part of their job to mark incision sites and sterilize them. They give preoperative instructions, prepare the operating room, and administer medication. The roles they play include being circulating and scrub nurses. Also, they intervene whenever complications occur.

Critical care nurse vs surgical nurse salary

Critical care nurses and surgical nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Critical Care Nurse	Surgical Nurse
Average salary	$76,788	$64,025
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $130,000	Between $39,000 And $103,000
Highest paying City	Palo Alto, CA	Thousand Oaks, CA
Highest paying state	California	Hawaii
Best paying company	Dignity Health	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between critical care nurse and surgical nurse education

There are a few differences between a critical care nurse and a surgical nurse in terms of educational background:

	Critical Care Nurse	Surgical Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Critical care nurse vs surgical nurse demographics

Here are the differences between critical care nurses' and surgical nurses' demographics:

	Critical Care Nurse	Surgical Nurse
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 18.9% Female, 81.1%	Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between critical care nurse and surgical nurse duties and responsibilities

Critical care nurse example responsibilities.

Interpret laboratory results, EKG readings, cardiac monitors, managing medication drips, and ventilator settings.
Monitor chemotherapy and administration of oral chemo medication, obtain laboratory specimens to manage client status via central lines.
Work on the general units of rehabilitation, geriatrics, and telemetry.
Work in critical care floors ranging from MICU to SICU to regular ICU.
Perform emergency medical procedures such as BLS, ACLS, and other condition stabilizing interventions.
Care for patients with a wide variety of critical illnesses and are CCRN certify for many years.

Surgical nurse example responsibilities.

Manage GI bleeds, asthmatics, bowel resections, fractures, patients with chest and feeding tubes.
Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Maintain BLS, NRP, ACLS
Prepare patients for procedures, initiate and maintain intravenous therapy, and obtain 12-lead EKG.
Establish care plans and perform care for ICU, CCU, cardiac, and neurological patients.
Serve as a BLS/ ACLS instructor.

Critical care nurse vs surgical nurse skills

Common critical care nurse skills

Patients, 31%
BLS, 11%
Acls, 8%
Life Support, 5%
Quality Care, 3%
Compassion, 3%

Common surgical nurse skills

Patients, 31%
BLS, 15%
Acute Care, 7%
Acls, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Quality Care, 3%

Critical Care Nurse vs. similar jobs

Critical Care Nurse related careers

Critical Care Nurse related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Critical Care Nurse
Critical Care Nurse vs Surgical Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs