Staff nurse for emergency department vs surgical nurse

The differences between staff nurse for emergency departments 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 staff nurse for emergency department and a surgical nurse. Additionally, a staff nurse for emergency department has an average salary of $83,901, which is higher than the $64,025 average annual salary of a surgical nurse.

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

Staff nurse for emergency department vs surgical nurse overview

	Staff Nurse For Emergency Department	Surgical Nurse
Yearly salary	$83,901	$64,025
Hourly rate	$40.34	$30.78
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	511,577	638,444
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

Staff nurse for emergency department vs surgical nurse salary

Staff nurse for emergency departments and surgical nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Staff Nurse For Emergency Department	Surgical Nurse
Average salary	$83,901	$64,025
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $135,000	Between $39,000 And $103,000
Highest paying City	Palo Alto, CA	Thousand Oaks, CA
Highest paying state	California	Hawaii
Best paying company	Washington Hospital Healthcare System	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between staff nurse for emergency department and surgical nurse education

There are a few differences between a staff nurse for emergency department and a surgical nurse in terms of educational background:

	Staff Nurse For Emergency Department	Surgical Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Staff nurse for emergency department vs surgical nurse demographics

Here are the differences between staff nurse for emergency departments' and surgical nurses' demographics:

	Staff Nurse For Emergency Department	Surgical Nurse
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 18.5% Female, 81.5%	Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.6% 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 staff nurse for emergency department and surgical nurse duties and responsibilities

Staff nurse for emergency department example responsibilities.

Maintain current professional practice standards, complete education in telemetry, and attain ACLS certification.
Manage nursing interventions for stabilization of critically ill patients and continually monitor, intervene as needed in their care.
Maintain BLS, ACLS and TCRN certifications.
Stabilize patients in crisis using BLS and ALS protocols.
Monitor patients for irregular rhythms; interpret rhythms strips and EKG's.
Assign team members and coordinate rapid response team during transfer of patients to the ICU or tertiary hospitals.

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.

Staff nurse for emergency department vs surgical nurse skills

Common staff nurse for emergency department skills

Patients, 25%
BLS, 12%
Acls, 9%
Acute Care, 7%
Family Education, 5%
CPR, 5%

Common surgical nurse skills

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

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Staff Nurse For Emergency Department
Staff Nurse For Emergency Department vs Surgical Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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