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Registered nurse med/surg vs clinic registered nurse

The differences between registered nurse med/surgs and clinic registered 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 registered nurse med/surg and a clinic registered nurse. Additionally, a registered nurse med/surg has an average salary of $84,812, which is higher than the $70,075 average annual salary of a clinic registered nurse.

The top three skills for a registered nurse med/surg include patients, BLS and acute care. The most important skills for a clinic registered nurse are patients, BLS, and acute care.

Registered nurse med/surg vs clinic registered nurse overview

Registered Nurse Med/SurgClinic Registered Nurse
Yearly salary$84,812$70,075
Hourly rate$40.77$33.69
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs515,200520,812
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does a registered nurse med/surg do?

The job of registered medical-surgical nurses is to care for patients with either surgical or non-surgical conditions. They are responsible for aiding patients to cope with their illness, prevent diseases, and promote good health. Entry-level registered nurses often rely on standardized care plans and medical procedures and make scientific-based nursing judgments. On the other hand, intermediate level nurses are more skilled in developing care plans that meet client needs. Requirements to become a medical-surgical nurse include a college degree in nursing, excellent assessment and observation skills, and patient education skills.

What does a clinic registered nurse do?

A clinic registered nurse is responsible for providing immediate care and treatments to patients while working alongside physicians and specialists. Assigned in a clinic or similar setting, they are mostly responsible for obtaining patient information and medical history, administering appropriate medication, and coordinating with health care experts. Moreover, they must thoroughly discuss necessary information to patients and their guardians and respond to any inquiries under the physician's guidelines. It is essential to make patients feel at ease and implement the policies of the clinic.

Registered nurse med/surg vs clinic registered nurse salary

Registered nurse med/surgs and clinic registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Registered Nurse Med/SurgClinic Registered Nurse
Average salary$84,812$70,075
Salary rangeBetween $49,000 And $145,000Between $43,000 And $113,000
Highest paying CityLancaster, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateRhode IslandRhode Island
Best paying companyDignity HealthHighland General Hospital
Best paying industryHealth CareProfessional

Differences between registered nurse med/surg and clinic registered nurse education

There are a few differences between a registered nurse med/surg and a clinic registered nurse in terms of educational background:

Registered Nurse Med/SurgClinic Registered Nurse
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Registered nurse med/surg vs clinic registered nurse demographics

Here are the differences between registered nurse med/surgs' and clinic registered nurses' demographics:

Registered Nurse Med/SurgClinic Registered Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 10.9% Female, 89.1%Male, 10.2% Female, 89.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 9.1% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between registered nurse med/surg and clinic registered nurse duties and responsibilities

Registered nurse med/surg example responsibilities.

  • Manage respiratory ventilator, EKG equipment, intravenous and oral medication, intravenous pump machine, and blood products transfusion.
  • Achieve telemetry and BLS certification.
  • Interact with professionalism and compassion to consistently achieve confidence in care.
  • Manage and care for medical-surgical ICU patients including neurology and plastic surgery patients.
  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Provide compassion to patients and family members ensuring optimal levels of comfort and privacy
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Clinic registered nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Perform both admissions and discharge of patients within the CICU as well as transferring patients to ICU or other units.
  • Perform nursing functions in critical care units including ER, MICU, CCU, SICU in various hospitals and medical centers.
  • Provide patient education that includes information about diagnosis, plan surgical procedures, post-surgical care, and physical rehabilitation procedures.
  • Provide involved detail clinical evaluations of patients within the acute rehabilitation center along with needs for transition of care after discharge.
  • Provide prenatal care education to ob triage patients to aide in fetal well-being.
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Registered nurse med/surg vs clinic registered nurse skills

Common registered nurse med/surg skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • BLS, 16%
  • Acute Care, 8%
  • Acls, 6%
  • Direct Patient Care, 3%
  • Discharge Planning, 2%
Common clinic registered nurse skills
  • Patients, 26%
  • BLS, 11%
  • Acute Care, 6%
  • Home Health, 5%
  • Acls, 4%
  • Quality Care, 3%

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