What You Need to Know for Your Next Career Move
Med-Surg nursing (Medical-Surgical nursing) is the largest nursing specialty in the United States. According to the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN) almost a quarter of all the nation’s RNs practice in Med-Surg nursing. This means there are plenty of job opportunities for Med-Surg nurses.
But what is Med-Surg nursing exactly, what skills do you need to excel in this field, and what type of work will you do?
What Is Med-Surg Nursing?
Med-Surg nursing is a specialty that is employed in hospitals that focuses on the care of patients. In Med-Surg nursing, you are also responsible for administering medication and other treatments to patients.
You will collaborate with doctors, surgeons, and other medical personnel to ensure that the patient receives the best care. Additionally, you will be involved in providing long-term care of patients, acting as an advocate for them patients by making sure they are getting the best treatment possible.
It is interesting and rewarding work, with a high degree of responsibility placed on your shoulders. Consequently, you will be expected to possess a range of finely tuned nursing and administration skills.
What Does a Med-Surg Nurse Do?
As a Med-Surg nurse, you will act as a master coordinator in the delivery of your patients’ care and treatment plan. Your duties will include:
- Assessing patient condition
- Administering medications
- Applying and changing dressings
- Monitoring vital signs
- Operating medical equipment
- Keeping records
- Providing patients and their families with support and applicable healthcare education
The work you do is unique in the healthcare profession, because Med-Surg nurses are the only professionals who focus on illness management, promotion of good health, and patient care. Perhaps most importantly, you will lead coordination of care in an interprofessional healthcare team.
Where Do Med-Surg Nurses Work?
With so many Med-Surg nurses in the United States, you would be right to think that there are many types of facility where you could work. Healthcare settings in which you could be posted include:
- Inpatient clinics
- Outpatient surgical centers
- Hospitals
- Nursing homes
- Telemedicine
- Military facilities
- In the patient’s home
Med-Surg is not where you practice, but what you practice. Wherever you practice, you are the glue that holds patient care together.
What Skills Does a Great Med-Surg Nurse Possess?
Of course, good nursing skills are essential for a role as a nurse in a Med-Surg setting. Soft skills are also important. These include:
- Critical thinking
- Calmness under pressure
- Organizational skills
- Good communication
- People management abilities
You will also need to be able to multitask, and prioritize your tasks using the SUIR system:
- STAT – What needs to be done in the next few minutes
- URGENT – What needs to be done within the next 30 minutes
- IMPORTANT – What must be done within a couple of hours
- ROUTINE – What you must do before your shift ends
America Needs Med-Surg Nurses
America needs Med-Surg nurses, and it is a career path that can be extremely rewarding – to your spirit and your pocket.
To become a Med-Surg nurse, you will need to have passed the NCLEX-RN exam and be licensed where you are practicing. It will help if you are certified in Med-Surg nursing, though this is not mandatory.
Do you have the skills, the motivation, and the mindset to work in Med-Surg nursing? Then we want to hear from you. We have some fantastic opportunities available across Kansas, with incredible healthcare facilities who respect and admire the work our nurses do.
To learn more, contact us today.