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The differences between surgical nurses and practical 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 surgical nurse and a practical nurse. Additionally, a practical nurse has an average salary of $75,363, which is higher than the $64,025 average annual salary of a surgical nurse.
The top three skills for a surgical nurse include patients, BLS and acute care. The most important skills for a practical nurse are patients, APN, and home health.
| Surgical Nurse | Practical Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $64,025 | $75,363 |
| Hourly rate | $30.78 | $36.23 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 638,444 | 511,602 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 30% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Generally, a surgical nurse provides patient care before, during, and after surgery. Surgical nurses assist the surgeons and anesthetists whenever necessary. They prepare patients for their surgery and serve the actual procedure. It is part of their job to mark incision sites and sterilize them. They give preoperative instructions, prepare the operating room, and administer medication. The roles they play include being circulating and scrub nurses. Also, they intervene whenever complications occur.
A practical nurse is responsible for providing the highest quality care services for the patients and assisting them with their needs and concerns. Practical nurses work within a health institution or private household to support the patients in their daily activities, monitor their conditions, administer medication, and inform the doctors of their health updates. They also coordinate with other medical professionals to develop nursing care plans and activities to suit the patients' lifestyle and keep their active wellbeing.
Surgical nurses and practical nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surgical Nurse | Practical Nurse | |
| Average salary | $64,025 | $75,363 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $103,000 | Between $47,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | Thousand Oaks, CA | Lancaster, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | University Hospitals |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a surgical nurse and a practical nurse in terms of educational background:
| Surgical Nurse | Practical Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 30% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Emory University |
Here are the differences between surgical nurses' and practical nurses' demographics:
| Surgical Nurse | Practical Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8% | Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 6.3% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 7% |