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The differences between registered nurse med/surgs and psychiatric 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 psychiatric registered nurse. Additionally, a registered nurse med/surg has an average salary of $84,812, which is higher than the $73,053 average annual salary of a psychiatric registered nurse.
The top three skills for a registered nurse med/surg include patients, BLS and acute care. The most important skills for a psychiatric registered nurse are patients, home health, and patient safety.
| Registered Nurse Med/Surg | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $84,812 | $73,053 |
| Hourly rate | $40.77 | $35.12 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 515,200 | 640,480 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A registered psychiatric nurse works alongside mental health experts to develop and administer psychiatric treatment plans according to the patients' needs. Among their responsibilities include gathering and organizing patient information, studying the patients' medical histories, conducting interviews and assessments, providing counseling, administering medicine, and restraining unsettled patients. There are also instances when they must conduct inspections to remove potentially harmful objects and provide psychoeducation to the patients' families. Above all, a registered psychiatric nurse must closely monitor the behavior of patients, record their daily progress, and report to the psychiatrists regularly.
Registered nurse med/surgs and psychiatric registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Registered Nurse Med/Surg | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Average salary | $84,812 | $73,053 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $145,000 | Between $45,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lancaster, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New York |
| Best paying company | Dignity Health | Scripps Health |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a registered nurse med/surg and a psychiatric registered nurse in terms of educational background:
| Registered Nurse Med/Surg | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between registered nurse med/surgs' and psychiatric registered nurses' demographics:
| Registered Nurse Med/Surg | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.9% Female, 89.1% | Male, 16.7% Female, 83.3% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |