Med-Surg Nurse Job Description Template
Medical-surgical nursing, also known as med-surg nursing, is the most common specialty for nurses — especially among new graduates. The type of illness (chronic or acute) and surgical requirement often determines what kind of patients are on a med-surg floor. Because every patient assignment could feature a wide range of diagnoses, writing a quality med-surg nurse job description is essential for appealing to candidates who can handle a diverse caseload.
This template will outline the components needed to write a strong medical-surgical job description when you’re ready to post your job opening and attract the right candidates for this role. Customize this template and couple it with thoughtful interview questions, medical-surgical nurse resume considerations, or insight from current job openings to find highly qualified professionals for your healthcare team.
Medical-Surgical Nurse
Tips: A med-surg nurse job description should start with a concise overview of the roles and responsibilities of medical-surgical nurses alongside an introduction to your organization. This is the first place to sell yourself to potential candidates by highlighting your facility’s work culture, values, or any other special distinctions. Consider ways to make yourself stand out from other facilities.
Template:
[Facility name] is seeking a new graduate or experienced RN/LPN to join our medical-surgical unit. The ideal candidate thrives in fast-paced environments, has a strong willingness to learn, and understands how to deliver safe and effective clinical care alongside a team.
Working at [facility name] means joining a thriving and diverse organization renowned to have the best nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals in the state. By working at our organization, you’ll gain experience with cutting-edge medical technology and encounter unique opportunities to develop your clinical career.
Benefits
Tips: This section will help reinforce the hook of your medical-surgical RN job description by promoting all the notable benefits that you have to offer. Describe your benefits package as accurately and precisely as possible so that candidates don’t feel misled down the line. If your facility has any unique career development opportunities for clinical nurses, this is the place to highlight those as well.
Template:
- 401(k) matching
- Health insurance, including dental and vision
- Paid time off and paid holidays
- Loan repayment program
- Employee assistance program
- Clinical career ladder program
- Flexible, self-scheduling system
Duties and Responsibilities
Tips: This section of the med-surg nurse job description should list the most relevant medical-surgical nursing responsibilities and duties that candidates will be expected to carry out each day. While this specialty requires a broad range of skills, avoid making your list overly detailed. A wordy job description can become overwhelming and encourage candidate drop-off.
Since med-surg units are structured differently from hospital to hospital, we recommend that you adjust the template below to reflect any of your unit-specific medical-surgical nurse duties and expectations.
Template:
- Applies the nursing process of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation to care for patients with a range of medical and surgical conditions
- Collaborates with the healthcare team and documents the nursing process
- Administers routine medications, including IV therapy and intramuscular injections
- Delegates duties and responsibilities of other nursing and ancillary staff members
- Maintains confidentiality in matters related to patients and their families
- Practices in accordance with established standards under the Nurse Practice Act
Compensation and Schedule
Tips: This section will provide a breakdown of med-surg nurse salary ranges or hourly rates, and the anticipated schedule. Be as transparent as possible to prevent any confusion further along the hiring process. Also, add any additional details that allow applicants to get a sense of what types of shifts they’ll be working.
Template:
- Full-time (36 hours/week)
- Day/night rotating shifts
- LPN range: $25-$45/hour
- RN range: $35-$55/hour
- Up to $10,000 sign-on bonus
Skills and Qualifications
Tips: In this section of the job description, you’ll want to highlight the more specific licensures, skills, and qualifications needed to fulfill medical-surgical nurse duties at your organization. If your facility is hiring for a subspecialty med-surg unit, this is also the place to specify relevant clinical certifications needed to work on this floor. For instance, a med-surg telemetry nurse job description may list slightly different requirements than an ortho med-surg nurse job description.
Template:
- Associates or bachelors degree from an accredited school of nursing
- Active RN license to practice in [insert state]
- BLS and ACLS certification from AHA required
- At least one year of nursing experience, or equivalent, preferred
- IV, catheter, and wound care certification preferred
Call to Action
Tips: Once you’ve captured the interest of a potential applicant, they’ll need instructions on how to proceed to the next step. Place a catchy, brief call to action at the end of your med-surg job description with a link to the application.
Template:
Ready to advance your career at a renowned hospital that values the patient experience? Click “apply now” to start your application today.
Find Qualified Nursing Professionals for Your Team
Writing a strong med-surg nurse job description is an important step in getting the right candidates to join your healthcare team. The next step is getting it in front of experienced, and interested, nursing professionals. See how we can help you find your next hire by posting your next open position on our nationwide nursing job board.