Medical-surgical Nurse Career
The foundation of all nursing practice is medical-surgical nursing. Once – not very long time ago – all nurses performed the art and science of nursing on wards and everyone was a surgical or medical nurse – that is where all nursing takes its start.
Today many nurses still choose to work in the field of medical-surgical nursing.
Medical-surgical nursing has greatly evolved from an starting, entry-level position to an adult, prestigious health specialty. It is no longer underviewed as stepping-stone but is the backbone and solid rock the of every institution. It is the largest group of practicing professionals.
Medical-surgical nurses generally care for adult patients in many settings, for example, such as:
- ambulatory care units
- inpatient care unit
- HMOs
- clinics
- home health care
- urgent care centers
- long-term care
- surgical centers
- skilled nursing homes
- and universities, just to name a few.
As technology evolves, so does nursing. Medical-surgical nurses are everyday on the front lines. They are on the cutting edge of what is exciting and new in nursing. The work is challenging, but rewarding. It is one of the most demanding specialties of all the nursing specialties. Who but special nurses can manage as many as five-seven patients, plus the ones they have admitted and discharged throughout the day? They must juggle their assignment so they can do assessments, administer care, treatments, medications and documentation. Medical-surgical nurses are so resilient they come back the next day to start all over again! Nurses know that the biggest reward is to see someone healed because of their efforts.
Medical-Surgical Nurses Skills
Medical-surgical nurses have a vast set of skills: they have excellent assessment, technical, organizational, and prioritization skills, are knowledgeable in all aspects of adult health, can teach patients, families, peers, and other health professionals.
