Medical-Surgical Nurse

A Medical-Surgical Nurse has extensive knowledge that can assist doctors on the medical-surgical floor of a hospital.

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Required education

ADN or BSN

Average Annual Salary

$40k–$74k

Source: PayScale, Aug 2018

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

Inpatient clinics
Outpatient clinics
Hospitals
Nursing homes
Surgical centers
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

Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN)

A Nurse Educator’s role is also higher salary.

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A Holistic Nurse is another type of long-term care nurse.

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