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The differences between licensed practical nurses and surgical nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a licensed practical nurse and a surgical nurse. Additionally, a surgical nurse has an average salary of $64,025, which is higher than the $52,912 average annual salary of a licensed practical nurse.
The top three skills for a licensed practical nurse include patients, CPR and home health. The most important skills for a surgical nurse are patients, BLS, and acute care.
| Licensed Practical Nurse | Surgical Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $52,912 | $64,025 |
| Hourly rate | $25.44 | $30.78 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 614,369 | 638,444 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.33 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Licensed practical nurses are considered leading front liners in the clinic or hospital setting. They assist nurses and doctors in conducting various activities related to sick or injured patients. Licensed practical nurses are primarily expected to provide routine care for patients and assist registered nurses in creating care plans. They maintain and update medical records, prepare patients for medical examinations, help patients dress, bath, or eat, take vital signs, administer and monitor medicine intake, monitor patients and update nurses and doctors on patient status, and assist during medical examinations.
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.
Licensed practical nurses and surgical nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Licensed Practical Nurse | Surgical Nurse | |
| Average salary | $52,912 | $64,025 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $74,000 | Between $39,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Thousand Oaks, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between a licensed practical nurse and a surgical nurse in terms of educational background:
| Licensed Practical Nurse | Surgical Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Emory University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between licensed practical nurses' and surgical nurses' demographics:
| Licensed Practical Nurse | Surgical Nurse | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.3% Female, 88.7% | Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 6.5% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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 | 7% | 9% |