Med Surg Travel Nursing Jobs

Med surg travel RNs, CNAs, and LPNs are known for being skilled in a little bit of everything! Med surg is the largest nursing specialty in the U.S., which dictates consistently high demand for med surg nurses to work in various settings. This creates an abundance of well-paying med surg travel nursing jobs in exciting locations nationwide! If you’re a med surg RN, med surg CNA, med surg LPN or LVN, or work another med surg-related role, read on to learn more and explore nationwide med surg job opportunities for travel nurses and travel allied health professionals.

A career in med surg travel nursing is a great way for you to avoid nurse burnout — the job is still very demanding, but the variety of locations and facilities can help keep you fresh and motivated. It’s also a great way to sharpen your skills, gain crucial experience, and improve your resume.

Medical Surgical (Med-Surg) is a foundational nursing specialty that plays a crucial role in caring for patients. In order to advance in nursing to other specialties Med Surg experience is often required. Medical Surgical RNs provide care for patients experiencing acute medical issues. Medical-Surgical is often used as an umbrella term for Registered Nurses who don’t fall under a more specialized category.

How Much Do Med Surg Travel Nurses Make?

Med surg travel nurse salary can vary with factors such as location, demand, experience, and agency can all impact your pay rate. Working with Medical Solutions, med surg travel nurse salaries in the United States can pay up to $2,200 – $3,500 per week. That’s between $105,600 – $168,000 per year for a travel med surg RN! Keep in mind that pay rates can vary depending on specific contract details, so it’s important to do your research and choose a reputable agency that is transparent with pay.

Med Surg Education

When applying for a med surg travel nurse position, your resume is the first impression you make on potential employers, and it plays a crucial role in determining whether or not you get hired. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that your resume meets certain requirements and effectively showcases your skills, experience, and qualifications.

To become a medical-surgical registered nurse (RN), individuals typically need to complete an accredited nursing program and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Two common paths to becoming an RN are through an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.

ADN programs typically take two years to complete and focus on the basics of nursing, including anatomy, pharmacology, and patient care management. BSN programs, on the other hand, are four-year degree programs that offer a more in-depth education in nursing theory, research, leadership, and community health. Additionally, BSN graduates are often preferred by employers and may have more career advancement opportunities. After completing an ADN or BSN program, individuals must pass the NCLEX exam to obtain their RN license.

Med Surg Licensure

Licensure is an essential requirement for medical surgical nurses to practice in the United States. To obtain licensure, nurses must first complete an accredited nursing program and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). After passing the NCLEX-RN, nurses must also meet the state-specific requirements for licensure. This may include completing continuing education courses or submitting to a background check. Medical surgical nurses must maintain their licensure by renewing it periodically, which may involve completing additional education or training. Licensure is essential to ensure that nurses have the necessary knowledge and skills to provide high-quality patient care and adhere to professional standards of practice.

Med Surg RN Certifications

Medical Surgical RNs must have their BLS (Basic Life Support) certification and often an ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certification is also required. This is especially true for travel nursing. Additional certifications can help in landing your desired travel nursing position. PICC and NIH certifications are a couple of extras that can help you set yourself ahead of other candidates.

Med Surg Preferred Certifications

Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Oncology Nursing Society (ONS)/Oncology Nursing Certified Corporation (ONCC), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) are all highly respected and widely recognized professional training and certification programs in the healthcare industry. Healthcare professionals who have completed these programs are better equipped to provide high-quality patient care and handle complex situations in their respective specialties. Employers may prefer candidates who have completed these programs because it indicates a level of dedication and expertise in their field, which can enhance the quality of care provided to patients. Additionally, many healthcare facilities require employees to complete these programs to maintain the highest standards of patient safety and care.

Travel Med Surg Required Experience

Facilities that hire medical-surgical travel nurses typically require a minimum of one to two years of recent, in-hospital experience. This is because travel nurses are expected to be highly skilled and adaptable professionals who can hit the ground running in new environments with minimal orientation. The experience gained from working in a hospital setting provides travel nurses with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to provide high-quality patient care in diverse and dynamic healthcare settings. The experience requirement helps to ensure that facilities can provide the highest level of patient care and that travel nurses are equipped to handle the unique demands of their assignments.

What Does a Med Surg Travel Nurse Do?

Medical surgical nurses — often viewed as the “backbone” of every healthcare facility — serve a vast array of patients. To succeed working in med surg you must be highly flexible and adaptable, great at multitasking, quick on your feet, work well within a multidisciplinary care team, and practice compassionate care. Many patients who are transferred from the ER or ICU move into the medical surgical unit, so it’s a fast-paced environment that can be highly reactive to surgical operations.

Med surg nurses also commonly have to take on many more patients than in other units. They’re regularly tasked with taking vitals, administering meds/pain control, wound care and dressing changes, and monitoring and assessing each patient’s condition.

The overall goal in the med surg unit is to treat, observe, care for, and comfort the patient accordingly, depending upon the reason for their stay, and ultimately discharge them.

Who Works in Med Surg?

Since med surg or general medicine units are sometimes effectively “catch-all” spaces, there’s a wide range of healthcare professionals working there to serve the needs of their patients. Med surg team members can include med surg RNs, med surg CNAs, med surg LPNs, hospitalists, physicians, specialists, dieticians, pharmacists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, respiratory therapists, speech therapists, administrative staff, and social workers/case managers.

Who’s Treated in Med Surg?

Patients can be in the medical surgical unit for a variety of reasons, including preparation for or recovery from a surgical procedure, getting specialized treatments/medications for a specific illness or disease (for example, diabetes, sepsis, renal failure), or for testing and observation.

Some common surgical procedures that might land someone in this unit can include, but are not limited to, gallbladder removal, appendectomy, hernia surgery, orthopedic surgery (like hip and knee replacements, for example), hysterectomy, colon surgery, and many more. Patients in med surg units are also likely to be suffering from multiple comorbidities.

Med Surg Skills

Due to the variety of challenges Medical Surgical RNs face on a daily bases they must have or develop several skills. Coordinating care with other healthcare professionals and being able to clearly communicate about patient needs is vital to Med-Surg performance. Being able to balance many tasks, stay organized, and keep cool under pressure are all important for Medical Surgical nurses.

Travel med surg nurses require additional skills to succeed in their roles. They must be adaptable, flexible, and able to acclimate quickly to new environments. These nurses should work independently, take initiative, and be self-motivated. They must have excellent time management and organizational skills to manage their schedules and assignments. Moreover, they should possess a strong sense of professionalism as they represent themselves and their agency in each new work setting.

Med Surg Travel Nursing

Find flexibility and freedom with Medical Solutions Travel Nursing. As a Medical Surgical Registered Nurse you have the ability to work anywhere in the country through travel nursing. High pay, great benefits, and the freedom to travel every 13 weeks are just a few of the reasons why travel nursing is a great idea. If you’re looking to improve your skillset, travel nursing provides opportunities. If you’re looking to explore the United States, travel nursing is the way to go.

If you’re interested in earning more money in a shorter period of time, travel nursing could be the right choice for you. We partner with great facilities nationwide so you’ll have opportunities to take on contract positions just about anywhere you want, whenever you want.

Here’s how it works. You’ll work directly with a Recruiter who will help you apply to available positions based on your personal and professional preferences. To start apply below, or search for a position and apply there. We’ll be in contact to get you started. You’ll get the opportunity to tell us where you want to go as a travel RN and which shift is ideal.

Get started in a high paying Medical Surgical RN position filled with new experiences and adventures.