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Registered nurse med/surg vs registered nurse

The differences between registered nurse med/surgs and 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 registered nurse. Additionally, a registered nurse med/surg has an average salary of $84,812, which is higher than the $73,349 average annual salary of a registered nurse.

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

Registered nurse med/surg vs registered nurse overview

Registered Nurse Med/SurgRegistered Nurse
Yearly salary$84,812$73,349
Hourly rate$40.77$35.26
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs515,200646,159
Job satisfaction-2.75
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 46%Associate Degree, 46%
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 registered nurse do?

The primary responsibilities of a registered nurse involve caring for a variety of patients, from ill and injured to those who are healthy and wanting to stay that way. Nurses have different specialization and work with particular patients, such as newborn babies or those who are suffering from particular medical conditions. They work on different settings which includes hospital, outpatient facility, rehabilitation center, nursing home, dialysis center, home healthcare agency, and other offices. They can administer medications, wound care, and other aids or treatment plan. They also conduct medical tests, interpret the results, and monitor patients' recovery and progress.

Registered nurse med/surg vs registered nurse salary

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

Registered Nurse Med/SurgRegistered Nurse
Average salary$84,812$73,349
Salary rangeBetween $49,000 And $145,000Between $45,000 And $117,000
Highest paying CityLancaster, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateRhode IslandCalifornia
Best paying companyDignity HealthNORCAL Ambulance
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between registered nurse med/surg and registered nurse education

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

Registered Nurse Med/SurgRegistered Nurse
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 46%Associate Degree, 46%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Registered nurse med/surg vs registered nurse demographics

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

Registered Nurse Med/SurgRegistered Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 10.9% Female, 89.1%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between registered nurse med/surg and 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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Registered nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient care for individuals with multiple diagnoses including COPD, diabetes, stroke and cardiac issues.
  • Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
  • Manage surgical recovery patients including vascular, ENT, GI urological and neurological cases, coronary bypass surgery patients.
  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Provide care for cardiac patients in arrhythmia critical care unit, providing patient education and monitoring telemetry
  • Re-Cover surgical patients immediately after heart and vascular surgery until transfer out of ICU.
  • Show more

Registered nurse med/surg vs 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 registered nurse skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • BLS, 10%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • Acls, 5%
  • Home Health, 4%

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