Medical-Surgical Nurse
Impact: Patient outcomes and public health
Provides direct patient care, administers medications, and educates patients and families on health conditions and treatment plans. Collaborates with interdisciplinary healthcare teams to ensure comprehensive and coordinated care for a diverse patient population.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- 80% Team / 20% Solo
- Client facing
- Always
- Impact visibility
- Very High
- Travel
- Minimal
- Schedule flexibility
- Rigid
- Remote work
- On-site Only
- Typical work hours
- 36-48 hours/week
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $85,000
- Entry-level
- $60,000 - $75,000
- Senior
- $100,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 6% (average)
- Demand
- Growing
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- Moderate to 60-70% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- $25,000 - $50,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Medication Administration
- Electronic Health Records (EHR)
- Wound Care
- IV Insertion
- Patient Assessment
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
Soft skills
- Communication
- Empathy
- Critical Thinking
- Problem-Solving
- Adaptability
- Attention to Detail
Technical complexity: High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Bachelor's Degree
- Licensing
- Yes
- Years to mid-career
- 3-5 years
- Years to senior
- 7-10 years
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Staff Nurse
- Charge Nurse
- Nurse Manager
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 15% to low risk due to critical thinking and patient interaction
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Growing
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 3.5/10
- Meaning
- 4.2/10
- Work-life balance
- 2.8/10
- Prestige
- 7.5/10
- Social perception
- High