Physical therapy nurse vs surgical nurse

The differences between physical therapy 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 physical therapy nurse and a surgical nurse. Additionally, a physical therapy nurse has an average salary of $71,820, which is higher than the $64,025 average annual salary of a surgical nurse.

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

Physical therapy nurse vs surgical nurse overview

	Physical Therapy Nurse	Surgical Nurse
Yearly salary	$71,820	$64,025
Hourly rate	$34.53	$30.78
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	600,747	638,444
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Physical therapy nurse vs surgical nurse salary

Physical therapy nurses and surgical nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physical Therapy Nurse	Surgical Nurse
Average salary	$71,820	$64,025
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $112,000	Between $39,000 And $103,000
Highest paying City	-	Thousand Oaks, CA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between physical therapy nurse and surgical nurse education

There are a few differences between a physical therapy nurse and a surgical nurse in terms of educational background:

	Physical Therapy 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

Physical therapy nurse vs surgical nurse demographics

Here are the differences between physical therapy nurses' and surgical nurses' demographics:

	Physical Therapy Nurse	Surgical Nurse
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 10.5% Female, 89.5%	Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.1% 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 physical therapy nurse and surgical nurse duties and responsibilities

Physical therapy nurse example responsibilities.

Manage fistulas and other draining wounds using creative intervention referring patients to appropriate community agencies.
Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Focus on traumatic brain injury, stroke rehabilitation.
Initiate the program for nurse assessment and placement of PICC lines for all inpatients.
Include pain management, chemotherapy administration, blood administration, routine peripheral and central access care, and night pharmacy backup.
Supervise and administer chemotherapy and blood products.

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.

Physical therapy nurse vs surgical nurse skills

Common physical therapy nurse skills

Patients, 39%
BLS, 16%
Acls, 4%
IV Therapy, 4%
Direct Patient Care, 4%
Patient Education, 4%

Common surgical nurse skills

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

Physical Therapy Nurse vs. similar jobs

Physical Therapy Nurse related careers

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Physical Therapy Nurse
Physical Therapy Nurse vs Surgical Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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