Required education
ADN or BSN
Average Annual Salary
$40k–$74k
Attributes
Fast-paced
React and make decisions quickly in demanding conditions.
Higher salary
Earn more by having advanced skills and responsibilities.
Patient-facing
Work hands-on, directly with patients.
Varied
Take on different tasks, patients, and situations every day.
You’ll thrive on working in a challenging, fast-paced environment where every case is different. You’ll multi-task and make split-second decisions that’ll save lives.
What you’ll do
Development
You’ll constantly increase your knowledge through hands-on experience and continuing education.
Treatment
You’ll assess patients and coordinate their care with other members of their medical team under the supervision of a manager or charge nurse.
Where you’ll work
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Inpatient clinics
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Outpatient clinics
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Hospitals
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Nursing homes
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Surgical centers
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Patients’ homes
How to become a Medical-Surgical Nurse
01
Get an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
02
Pass the NCLEX-RN.
03
Work as a Registered Nurse for two years or spend 2,000 hours in Medical-Surgical.
04
Pass your Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse exam through the Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board.
05
You’re ready to work as a Medical Surgical Nurse.
Join an Organization
Become a member of a Medical-Surgical Nurse organization to find career opportunities, learn from your colleagues, and support the profession.
Related Organizations
A Nurse Educator’s role is also higher salary.
A Holistic Nurse is another type of long-term care nurse.