Medical-Surgical Nurse Jobs

Medical-surgical nurses must have a bachelor's or associate degree in nursing or a related degree with a successful pass on the NCLEX exam. Traveling nursing in this department has additional requirements, as well, such as:

• One to two years of experience in the medical-surgical unit of a hospital

• An active license or valid accreditation in the U.S.

• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification

Some hospitals around the country may require other certifications or criteria for their specific hospital. Be sure to check with your recruiter for more information.

A med-surg nurse will work mainly with pre- and post-surgical patients who have various conditions and needs throughout the day. As a result, this position can include a mixture of healthcare and administration responsibilities.

While specifics can vary on the patient's condition, med-surg nurses will often:

• Administer medication

• Monitor vital signs

• Manage, operate and maintain IVs, feeding tubes, oxygen tubes, catheters or other post-surgical equipment

• Offer solutions for pain management

• Provide proper wound care around incisions and stitches

A medical-surgical nurse's job can also involve several administrative duties for a patient's health records, including:

• Managing discharge paperwork

• Educating clients on discharge care

• Performing and charting clinical assessments of the patient

• Assisting doctors or providers with ordering diagnostic tests

• Monitoring and documenting a patient's progress

• Staying in communication with other care team members

A med-surg travel nurse will make an average of $104,000 annually — although this number is dependent on factors such as your certifications, additional skills, years of experience, location and more.

With Fastaff, your salary can also vary based on the position you are taking and in which of the 50 states you will be working. Most of our assignments are 13 weeks long, and we pay our nurses through a weekly direct deposit.