Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between registered nurse med/surgs and registered nurse prns 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 an registered nurse prn. Additionally, a registered nurse med/surg has an average salary of $84,812, which is higher than the $77,449 average annual salary of an registered nurse prn.
The top three skills for a registered nurse med/surg include patients, BLS and acute care. The most important skills for an registered nurse prn are patients, home health, and acute care.
| Registered Nurse Med/Surg | Registered Nurse PRN | |
| Yearly salary | $84,812 | $77,449 |
| Hourly rate | $40.77 | $37.24 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 515,200 | 636,925 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | Associate Degree, 44% |
| 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.
As a registered nurse PRN, their job is to collaborate with medical teams, reviewing the patient records to ensure providing the best quality health care for patients. They deliberate ongoing patient care with physicians and other staff. In addition, they help explain treatment to patients and their families. Moreover, they also provide different services, including treatment of chronic illnesses and providing urgent care. They may be scheduled in a flexible shift to work in various departments as needed.
Registered nurse med/surgs and registered nurse prns have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Registered Nurse Med/Surg | Registered Nurse PRN | |
| Average salary | $84,812 | $77,449 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $145,000 | Between $46,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lancaster, CA | Camden, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Dignity Health | Baptist Health Care |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a registered nurse med/surg and an registered nurse prn in terms of educational background:
| Registered Nurse Med/Surg | Registered Nurse PRN | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | Associate Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between registered nurse med/surgs' and registered nurse prns' demographics:
| Registered Nurse Med/Surg | Registered Nurse PRN | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.9% Female, 89.1% | Male, 10.7% Female, 89.3% |
| 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, 12.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |