
What does a Med/Surg LPN/LVN do?
- Coordinates and consults with health care team members in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating the patient care plans.
- Answer questions and educate the patient about surgical procedures
- Observe and record patient vital signs and medical information
- Observe, monitor and adjust specialized equipment. ...
What is Med surg nursing?
Med surg nursing is the number one nursing specialty in the United States, with the most healthcare professionals choosing to work in this field. Despite its popularity, many people don’t fully understand what med surg nursing is. Med surg stands for medical-surgical nursing.
Where can a med surg nurse do their job?
These medical professionals can also be assigned to care for patients at any of the following places: Basically, a med surg nurse can do their job any place where a patient is recovering from surgery.
What is a medical-surgical nurse?
Medical-surgical nurses are RNs who work mainly in hospital units or at acute care facilities with patients who are experiencing a wide range of medical issues and diseases, or patients who are recovering from surgery. Often, RNs begin their careers as medical-surgical nurses.
Why should I become a med surg nurse?
Learning the basics of nursing is important, and a med surg job will help with this. Additionally, med surg nurses are able to practice one of the most important parts of the job: supporting patients.

What kind of patients are on a Med Surg floor?
What types of conditions does a med surg nurse treat? A med surg nurse attends to the needs of patients that are: suffering from an acute or a potentially acute illness or injury; experiencing an exacerbation of a chronic condition affecting one or more body systems; and/or preparing for/recovering from surgery.
What is considered Med Surg nursing?
Medical-surgical nursing is the single largest nursing specialty in the United States and beyond. Medical-surgical nurses provide care to adults with a variety of medical issues or who are preparing for/recovering from surgery. They have a broad knowledge base and are experts in their practice.
Do Med Surg nurses assist in surgery?
What is Med-Surg Nursing? Med-surg nurses and assistants are responsible for taking care of acutely-ill adult patients that might be recovering from surgery or could have a wide variety of medical problems and diseases. Med-surg nurses provide care for patients before and after surgeries and medical procedures.
Is working in Med Surg Nursing hard?
Yes, med-surg is difficult, for SURE! There's a lot you need to know and study, and it requires a lot of dedication and time. But often times I see students making it 10 times harder than it needs to be just because they're so stressed, worried, and anxious about it.
Why is it called med Surg?
Despite its popularity, many people don't fully understand what med surg nursing is. Med surg stands for medical-surgical nursing. This type of nursing focuses on providing care for adults who are either preparing for, or recovering from, a surgical procedure.
Is med Surg a good place to start?
That's why many nurses choose to strengthen their skills in a variety of practice areas to become a medical-surgical nurse. “Med-surg is the perfect place for nurses to begin the transition from novice nurse to expert,” says Mimi Haskins, president of the Medical-Surgical Nurse Certification Board.
How do I survive med-Surg floor?
Here are some common med-surg nursing tips that you need to remember.Set the right expectations every day. ... Stay organized. ... Keep your essentials on you at all times. ... Eat right. ... Be mindful of your body. ... Take breaks when you need them. ... Ask questions. ... Recognize the signs of burnout.More items...•
What happens on a med-Surg floor?
Often a medical-surgical floor assignment includes being paired with a nursing assistant to help take vital signs and daily weights, give baths, and provide overall patient care. Preventing pneumonia post surgery will also be covered, as this is an extremely important part of the medical-surgical nurse position.
Is med-Surg the same as ICU?
While medical/surgical units have monitoring equipment for patient care, ICU units have quite a bit more monitoring to do. IV tubes, feeding tubes, catheters and breathing machines are just among the few machines that you'll find on an ICU floor.
Should new grads start in med Surg?
2:389:22DO NEW NURSES HAVE TO START IN MED SURG? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo do I think you need to start absolutely on a med-surg unit no okay great end a video just gettingMoreSo do I think you need to start absolutely on a med-surg unit no okay great end a video just getting you guys know I'm Way more chatty than that I don't think it's necessary to start on a med-surg.
What makes a good med Surg nurse?
As a med surg nurse, you will need to be proficient in your clinical skills and knowledge. You need to be able to manage patients while providing comprehensive care in high-stress situations. You also need to be a strong team member while also possessing the ability to work well alone.
Is med Surg harder than fundamentals?
Yes, Med/Surg was way harder than fundamentals in my program. I liked it much better though. Your preparation for Med/Surg has already been done - in your chemistry, anatomy and physiology classes. If you worked hard and did well in those classes, you will do the same in Med Surg.
What Do Med Surg Nurses Do?
Let’s go through a day in the life of a med surg nurse to see what an average day might look like for a med surg nurse. Your mileage may vary, and no two shifts or units are the same, but this will give you a good idea of what your job might look like working on a med surg unit.
Why are med surg nurses working closer with physical therapy?
Med surg nurses are also working even closer with physical, occupational, and speech therapy because their assessment recommendations are required for insurance purposes to get things covered (like nursing home stays, rehab, home health, medical requirement) by insurance.
How long does a medical surg report last?
Report typically lasts about 30 minutes, so around 5 minutes per patient plus some time to have a short huddle of the entire shift of nursing staff members, and some time to find each nurse to obtain report from. Here is a video example of me giving report on a fictional med surg patient:
What is a medical surgical nurse?
A medical-surgical nurse is a unique nursing specialty that works in the inpatient setting typically taking a patient load between 3-6 patients per 12-hour shift. These nurses are for all types of patients and have a diverse skill set and a wide range of nursing practice. Although not required, some nurses choose to pursue a Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification for increased income, job outlook, and confidence.
What does APP mean in medical?
If I find something alarming or concerning in my assessment, labs, monitoring, or in talking to the patient, I alert the physician or the advanced practice provider (abbreviated as an APP, meaning a nurse practitioner or physician assistant).
How long does a nurse report last?
Report typically lasts about 30 minutes, so around 5 minutes per patient plus some time to have a short huddle of the entire shift of nursing staff members, and some time to find each nurse to obtain a report from.
What is interdisciplinary rounds?
You may have to participate in interdisciplinary rounds as well. This is when the entire health care team gets together and rounds on the patients in the unit.
What does a medical-surgical nurse do?
A medical-surgical nurse provides care to patients preparing for or recovering from surgery. They may also care for patients who have multiple conditions. They perform a variety of tasks related to patient safety and patient care. A med-surg nurse strives to promote overall health, prevent disease and provide support to patients and their families to help them cope with illness.
What is a med surgeon?
Med-surg nursing, or medical-surgical nursing, is a nursing specialty practiced within multiple areas of the healthcare industry. Med-surg nurses care for acutely ill patients dealing with a range of complications, comorbidities or issues. They may also care for patients preparing for or recovering from surgery.
Why is patient education important in a med-surg?
It's important for medical-surgical nurses to develop certain soft skills to help them better communicate with and understand others. For example, med-surg nurses who are compassionate, empathetic and understanding may help their patients feel more cared for and respected.
Why is it important to be a med-surg nurse?
It's important for them to have a broad clinical knowledge and understanding of a variety of conditions.
What is a CMSRN?
The Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN) from the Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board
What is the role of a medsurg nurse?
An essential responsibility of a med-surg nurse is coordinating care for patients. They lead a team of different healthcare professionals to determine the best care for a patient. They're responsible for establishing a shared goal for the patient's care and ensuring each medical professional understands and strives to achieve that goal.
Is there an increase in demand for nurses?
While the BLS projects this increase for a variety of reasons, it specifies there may be an increase in demand for nurses who work in outpatient centers or long-term care facilities. These projections indicate a demand for nurses familiar with treating many conditions for complex patients, alluding to a continued need for med-surg nurses.
What Is a Medical-Surgical Nurse?
Medical-surgical nurses are RNs who work mainly in hospital units or at acute care facilities with patients who are experiencing a wide range of medical issues and diseases, or patients who are recovering from surgery. Often, RNs begin their careers as medical-surgical nurses. The specialty requires the nurse to acquire and maintain a broad array of knowledge and skills in different areas of nursing care and then apply them in a fast-paced, acute care hospital environment.
What is a MS-RN?
Some initial experience in the medical-surgical specialty and a number of hours of continuing education within the area of medical-surgical nursing will lead to eligibility for certification as a medical-surgical registered nurse (MS-RN).
How much do medical surgical nurses make?
According to PayScale, the median annual salary for medical-surgical nurses comes in around $61,178. Exact figures will depend on factors such as education level, amount of clinical experience in the field, city and state of employment, the employer, and any other certifications or credentials the MS-RN may have. Employment benefits packages will also depend upon the same factors. Most MS-RNs who are employed full-time will receive some kind of medical, dental, vision, prescription, and less frequently life insurance coverage from their employers. It also isn't out of the norm for these nurses to enjoy a couple to a few weeks of paid-time off each year. This, however, will also depend on the employing organization.
How many hours of clinical experience do you need to become a medical surgical nurse?
To be eligible to become certified as a medical-surgical registered nurse (MS-RN) you will need to have fulfilled the following requirements: Have at least 2,000 hours of clinical experience in the medical-surgical specialty filed within the previous three years.
What are the essential skills needed for a successful adult?
Essential Skills Needed - A vast assortment of skills and knowledge in all areas concerning adult health, patience, organizational and technical abilities, ability to function well under stress, strong interpersonal communication skills, empathy and compassion, and dependability.
What is consulting in healthcare?
Consulting and working alongside other healthcare team members to ensure best possible patient outcomes
Is medical surgical nursing a good career?
Medical-surgical nurses should not only be exceptionally knowledgeable in a wide variety of nursing topics, but they must also be able to keep calm and maintain a cool head under stressful conditions. As a medical-surgical nurse , you will be confronted with a vast assortment of medical issues, diseases, and illnesses, all of which will require the close attention and advanced skill set of the MS-RN. Medical-surgical nursing is one of the oldest nursing specialties around and is unlikely to disappear anytime soon, so it's an excellent career choice.
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.
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:
How to become a med-surg nurse?
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.
What is Medical-Surgical Nursing?
In 2014, the AMSN Board of Directors commissioned a task force of members to describe the distinguishing characteristics of medical-surgical nursing practice. The definition was revised in 2019 to reflect the changing practice landscape and will continue to be refined as the practice evolves:
Where is medical surgical nursing practiced?
Medical-surgical nursing is practiced in several settings across the health care industry, including hospitals, outpatient settings, in homes, via telemedicine and other non-traditional settings. The specialty of medical-surgical nursing happens in almost every care environment because medical-surgical nursing is what you practice, not where.
Who is the President of AMSN?
It can be difficult to keep our sparks burning bright, but AMSN President Robin Hertel and some special med-surg RNs commit to being your spark when you need it!
Can you add videos to your watch history?
Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. To avoid this, cancel and sign in to YouTube on your computer.
