Medical-Surgical Travel Nursing Career Guide
Here at Nomad, we work with traveling medical-surgical nurses all over the country, and help them find assignments in facilities and cities that excite them.
What is a Med-Surg Travel Nurse?
This was my first experience working with a travel agency - I took the plunge after almost 32 years of hospital nursing and I’m so glad I did. I took a 12 week assignment at a small rural hospital - I loved it! Deciding to become a travel nurse was hands down my best decision as a nurse. More money, less stress.
How Do You Become a Medical-Surgical Travel Nurse?
Earn a College Degree in Nursing
Pass the NCLEX
Work for at Least Two Years as an RN
Consider Additional Nursing Certifications
Get Licensed for the States You Want to Work In
Medical-Surgical Travel Nurse Roles and Responsibilities
Assessing Patients
Diagnosis Formulation
Implementation
Patient Evaluation and Reassessment
Where do Traveling Medical-Surgical Nurses Work?
Why Are Patients Admitted to a Medical Surgical Unit?
- Neurological - Delirium, Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Seizures, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis
- Ear, Nose, Throat - Vertigo, Laryngitis, Epistaxis
- Respiratory - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Pneumonia, Pneumothorax, Pulmonary Embolism
- Cardiac - Congestive Heart Failure, Atrial Fibrillation, Coronary Artery Disease, Heart Attack, Cardiomyopathy, Pericarditis
- Gastrointestinal - Colitis, Diverticulitis, Appendectomy, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Pancreatitis, Cholititiasis
- Genitourinary / Renal - Urinary tract infection (UTI), Pyelonephritis, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), Acute Renal Failure, Chronic Kidney Disease, End Stage Renal Disease
- Endocrine - Diabetes Mellitus, Hypo/hyperthyroidism, Cushings’ disease
- Peripheral Vascular - Peripheral Vascular Disease, Peripheral Neuropathy
- Integumentary - Pressure injuries, Cellulitis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome
- Musculoskeletal / Orthopedic - Hip/knee fractures, dislocations, replacement surgery, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Spinal Fusion,
- Psychosocial - Alcohol / drug withdrawal, Suicide/Homocidal Ideation, Depression, Anxiety,
- Other common reasons for Med/Surg hospitalization - Prostatectomy, Bariatric surgery, Sepsis, Dehydration, Electrolyte Imbalance, Falls
Medical-Surgical Travel Nursing Jobs with Nomad
Nomad is proud to offer our travel med-surg nurses a robust benefits package, which includes (but is not limited to) the following: medical, dental, and vision insurance 401(k) with employer match after a year, malpractice insurance, travel reimbursement, stipend for housing and utilities, state license and certification reimbursement, and direct deposit payroll.
Want to Learn More about Med-Surg Travel Nursing?
What Are the Benefits of Being a Medical Surgical Travel Nurse?
There are many benefits to being a medical surgical travel nurse, ranging from the dynamic work environment to the consistently high need, which helps guarantee job security. Some of the top reasons RNs indicate they enjoy being med surg travel nurse include: direct interaction with patients, a collaborative work environment, and a wide array of patients and procedures.
As with any specialty, there are some elements of med surg travel nursing that some RNs would consider drawbacks. It’s a fast-paced environment, which may cause significant stress. There are sometime competing priorities and variable nurse-to-patient ratios (typically between 5-8 patients/nurse, but it varies from hospital to hospital).
- Robust experience managing patients with a wide variety of conditions
- Strong time management, critical thinking, clinical judgment and problem-solving skills
- Exemplary communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to work well in a team environment
- Experience with specific electronic medical record (EMR) systems
Medical surgical travel nurses are licensed professionals who travel to provide care to people with various acute medical conditions or people who are preparing for or recovering from a surgical procedure or operation. A Patient Care Assistant is an unlicensed personnel staff member, an essential part of the care team that medical surgical travel nurses work alongside. They can be delegated various patient care tasks by the medical surgical nurse, if they have demonstrated competence and the task is within their scope of responsibility. Some examples of these tasks include: taking vital signs, obtaining blood glucose, feeding, ambulating, cleaning patients, and assisting with their activities of daily living.
Healthcare Resources
- 25, A., & Logacho, D. (n.d.). 5 things to know about surgical nursing. Chamberlain University.
- How to become a surgical nurse. Herzing University.
- Gaines, K. (2021). Everything nurses need to know about ACLS, BLS & Pals Certifications. Nurse.org.
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. (n.d.). Perioperative Nurse. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.
- Medical-Surgical Nurse. Johnson & Johnson. (n.d.).
- Or nurse: Scrub vs circulating. RNspeak.
- REGISTERED NURSE FIRST ASSISTANT (RNFA). Registered nursing first assistant (RNFA). (n.d.).
- The nursing process. ANA.
- Surgical nurse job description and career guide. Western Governors University.
- What is Med-Surg Nursing? Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN). (n.d.).
Typical Responsibilities of Medical Surgical Travel Nurse
- Identify alterations from baseline assessment
- Conduct risk assessments using evidence-based tools (ex: falls, pressure injury CIWA-Ar, Confusion Assessment Method)
- Review diagnostic test results and report abnormal findings to the provider
- Prioritize care among assigned patients
- Anticipate potential complications and be prepared (ex: patient with seizures at risk for aspiration, ensure suction is set up and ready at the beginning of the shift)
- Advocate for the patient
- Administer medications and evaluate the patient’s intended vs. unintended response(s) to them
- Communicate and collaborate with the interdisciplinary team
- Admit patients, transfer to or from higher levels of care, discharge patients home or to facilities
- Lead and participate in bedside shift report(s)
- Delegate appropriate tasks to Nursing assistive staff
- Coordinate all care for the patient (ex: ensure ordered tests are completed in a timely manner, consults are obtained and recommendations communicated)
- Change patient dressings and wound care
- Educate patients and families on acute and chronic conditions, surgeries, medications, tests, potential complications, diet, injection administration, infection prevention and discharge teaching
- Operate equipment (such as IVs, feeding tubes, catheters, and oxygen tanks)
- Consult expert sources to guide practice (ex: policies, procedures)
- Participate in emergency, life saving care
- Provide care at the end of life
- Escalate concerns using Nursing and Medical chains of command
- Document care provided
This was my first experience working with a travel agency - I took the plunge after almost 32 years of hospital nursing and I’m so glad I did. I took a 12 week assignment at a small rural hospital - I loved it! Deciding to become a travel nurse was hands down my best decision as a nurse. More money, less stress.
Medical Surgical Travel Nurse Salary
Medical Surgical Travel Nurse Education Requirements
Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Medical Surgical Travel Nurse Experience Requirements
Medical Surgical Travel Nurse Certificate Requirements
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) - only if required by facility
- National Institute of Health, Stroke Scale (NIHSS) - if serving patient population with neurological conditions
Optional Medical Surgical Travel Nurse Certifications
Medical Surgical Nursing Certification (RN-BC):
- Certification comes from American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
- Competency-based exam that covers Assessment and Diagnosis; Planning, Implementation and Outcomes Evaluation; and Professional Role
- Recertification is required every five years
Certified Medical Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN):
- Certification comes from Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board (MSNCB)
- Competency-based exam
- Recertification is required every five years
- Requires 2,000 hours of clinical experience within the past three years
Medical Surgical Nurse Licensure Requirements
Medical Surgical Travel Nursing Jobs by State
Medical Surgical Travel Nurse Benefits
At Nomad, Medical Surgical travel nurses receive best in-class personalized support from Nomad Navigators and the Clinical Excellence Team to ensure ongoing support throughout their assignment.
Here are just a few benefits Nomad provides to all travelers on assignment:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) available, with employer match after a year
- Malpractice insurance
- Full travel reimbursement
- Stipend for housing and utilities
- State license and certification reimbursement
- Direct deposit payroll
Additionally, there are some non-measurable travel nurse benefits that attract many RNs to this profession. From ability to travel to different parts of the country to flexibility and ownership of your career, there are numerous travel nurse benefits:
- Ability to travel to and live in different parts of the country
- Control over your career - flexibility of when you want to work and when you want to take off in between assignments
- Career growth opportunities by learning from and working with different people
- Avoid the hospital politics
How to Apply for Medical Surgical Travel Nurse Jobs
Nomad Health gives clinicians the power to over their careers and ability to choose their next travel assignment. Nomad provides all the tools, information, and support to land the most rewarding medical surgical travel nursing assignments, hassle-free.
- Take control of your career and register today
- Search travel assignments nationwide and filter by location, pay, shift, days and hours
- Review the full pay package and facility details up front