Every time you visit a hospital to see someone admitted, you will see a nurse who takes care of you and checks on you. Chances are that he or she is a medical-surgical nurse.
Medical surgical nursing is a huge department in every country and nurses who study medical-surgical nursing are generally employed in hospitals and care units where they take care of adult patients who are acutely ill or are recovering from surgery. Even beyond the hospital ward, you will find medical surgical nursing students working in ambulatory care, HMOs, home health care and inpatient clinics. There is also a high demand for medical surgical nurses in the military and national defence camps. From administering the medications of patients to informing the patient’s family, from admitting new patients to the hospital to discharging cured patients – everything falls under the responsibilities of the medical surgical nursing staff.
Medical surgical nurses are basically healthcare professionals who act as the coordinating bridge between a patient and the resident doctor in a medical facility. Since patients and their families generally approach the medical-surgical nursing staff, they need to have a vast knowledge of all types of diseases and how the human body functions. They also need to have critical thinking skills and should be able to work calmly even under immense pressure. They must be alert and prepared to handle any crisis.
Since medical surgical nurses are the coordinating link, they must have excellent communication skills. They should be easy to talk to so that the patients can approach them whenever they need assistance. Since they have to shoulder the mantle of giving mental support to patients too, they need to be empathetic listeners. They are also assigned the job of communicating with the families of the patients. Therefore, they should be compassionate speakers too.
The job of a nurse comes at the cost of mental stress. Being surrounded by diseased patients can be emotionally taxing and can often take a toll on one's mental wellbeing. Therefore, a member of the medical surgical nursing staff must be emotionally stable so that he or she can accept suffering and death without getting affected. A medical surgical nurse should draw positivity from the heartwarming moments in nursing and gain strength from them.
Not just for the medical surgical nursing departments, but every nurse should have empathy for the ones suffering. They should be able to make the patients feel comfortable by lending a shoulder and a patient ear. Research has shown that sympathy, when paired with care, can heal a patient faster. Therefore, a medical surgical nurse must share a good rapport with a patient.
A nurse cannot expect a 9 to 5 job where she can just leave when her shift is over. Therefore, medical surgical nurses should be flexible and willing to go beyond their usual list of responsibilities. They may be asked to work overtime, late nights, and even weekends according to the requirements of the patients placed under their care.
When it comes to medical surgical nursing, every detail has value. Unseeing the minutest detail of the medical history or the prescription of a patient can have fatal consequences. Therefore, a medical surgical nurse must pay attention to detail. He/she should not make errors while following instructions or noting down information about the patient. Even while reading a patient’s chart, a surgical nurse must not miss out on any detail.
As mentioned earlier, the medical-surgical nursing staff acts as a bridge between the doctors and the patients. Therefore, it is important that a nurse has interpersonal skills so that they can work alongside doctors and other nurses. Patients generally feel scared to approach doctors with their queries. The nurses should strike a balance and cater to the needs of the patients on behalf of the doctors.
Nurses working in the medical surgical nursing wing may often have to engage in physically taxing tasks like lifting a patient or running to and fro to attend to different patients in different units. Therefore, it is mandatory that a nurse should be fit enough to endure the long shifts and hectic schedules.
When the doctor is away, the lives of the patients depend on the nurses. So, it is crucial that a medical surgical nurse has quick analytical skills. He or she should be able to address problems and solve them quickly. They should be calm-headed so that they can deal with emergencies effectively before it blows out of proportion.
When it comes to medical care facilities, there will be emergencies and critical crisis. Therefore, he or she must always be prepared to battle the unexpected. And when such a situation arises, a nurse must respond quickly. They should be able to keep their head cool in the moment of a crisis and address the problem with a calm attitude.
A nurse should always respect people. They should always be tolerant of all cultures and traditions. Above all, they should place the wishes of their patient before themselves. And it is not just about the patients. They must respect their colleagues and other staff working in the hospital.
A medical surgical nurse must have the following equipment ready:
The primary duty of a med-surg nurse is to provide direct care to patients in numerous settings. The care provided involves the following –
From outpatients in an outdoor medical facility to in-house at hospitals and nursing homes – medical surgical nurses are supposed to take care of all kinds of patients. They are stationed at urgent-care centers and surgical centers too where they take care of patients going into surgery or patients recovering from surgery. They are also supposed to assist doctors in carrying out activities beside surgical procedures.
Medical-surgical nurses are entrusted with the duty to provide immediate medical help to the patients under their care. Besides physical help, they are also supposed to provide mental support to patients under their care.
Here are a few points of difference between a medical surgical nurse and an ICU nurse.
The job of a nurse is not an easy one, and it comes with its own share of problems. Here are some of the common challenges that a nurse in the medical surgical department faces:
Having to work amid patients often takes a toll on the mental health of a nurse. They usually are victims of depression.
However, measures have been taken to counter this problem. Nurses need to attend regular counselling sessions to stay mentally fit.
Since nurses have to communicate bad news with the families of the patients, things often get violent when a family member cannot cope with the news and attack the nurse instead. Female nurses also face sexual assaults from patients.
Hospitals and nursing homes now have Nurses Association and Unions to address such issues and maintain workplace safety.
Medical-surgical nurses work long shifts and serve overtime most often. Extended shifts result in fatigue which inevitably leads to medical mistakes. And not only energy burnout, nurses also feel dissatisfied working in a depressed environment for long hours. Most nurses leave their jobs for not being able to give enough time to their family.
To solve this problem, labor laws have been initiated stating the hours beyond which a nurse cannot be retained at work.
Nurses face a number of workplace hazards each day while just doing their jobs. Be it exposure to bloodborne pathogens, to surgical injuries or dermatitis due to excessive hand washing – they always run a risk of occupational hazards.
Hospitals and health systems have put forward a foot to take measures to protect their workforce. Nurses are given advanced equipment to avoid cuts and other injuries. They are also given several vaccinations so that they can protect themselves from harmful disease borne germs.
Med-surgical nurses make up for one-sixth of the nursing profession and is a great job opportunity today. With several scientific and technological advancements in the medical field, medical-surgical nursing has become an important speciality.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the demand for medical surgical nursing certification is likely to increase from 2012 to 2022 by 19% - faster than the average for all occupations. And since the cost of education to get a medical surgical nursing certification is low, this makes it an even viable career option. You can get medical surgical nursing books at reasonable prices, and there are several medical surgical nursing ebooks available online both on the Lewis model of medical surgical nursing and Lemone model of medical surgical nursing.
According to a survey, medical-surgical nurses made an average annual salary of $57,000 to $62,000 in 2017. In 2018, registered nurses earned a yearly salary of $68,450 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even the lowest salary that a medical surgical nurse draws is an average of $57,000 and that is the percentile for 25%. 75 per cent earns a percentile salary of more than $80,000.
If you are thinking of a profitable career to choose in nursing, this might be a good option. If you think that the course with the many assignments can get a little taxing on you, then you can always take professional help.
MyAssignmenthelp.com has been helping students meet their deadlines for over a decade now. We have been ranked as the best academic help site for extending reliable services to students in need and helping them achieve their educational dreams. With a talented team of experts, we provide writing help for all kinds of assignments in the best way. If you need a helping hand to write your medical surgical nursing assignment, then our writers are at your service.
Every writer working for us has excellent writing skills and thus is capable of crafting the perfect paper. We only deliver accurate and 100% authentic content.
Here are some of the other guarantees that you can get when you choose us:
We have a quick customer support service so you can contact us if you have a query. To place an order with us, you can simply call us or drop us an email and we will get back to you immediately.
Masters in Account...
I am thorough with the changing financial scenario in US and the factors behind it. I am also updated with the changing ...
250 Completed Orders
34 Student Reviews
MS in Computer Sci...
I boast excellent observation and analysis skills. I am excellently thorough with the subject knowing all the aspects, a...
400 Completed Orders
42 Student Reviews
I took a MBA degre...
Along with an in-depth knowledge in marketing I am also skilled in composing assignments especially case studies with pr...
300 Completed Orders
51 Student Reviews
MS in Biology...
I am skilled to do research to find proper content for research papers, thesis and dissertation. I give only verified co...
200 Completed Orders
56 Student Reviews
MS in Statistics...
I am skilled in creative writing to craft any kind of assignment especially essays, thesis and dissertations of any kind...
360 Completed Orders
45 Student Reviews
Msc in Nursing fro...
I am in this field for 15 years, which helps me come up with unique topics and cases for students’ papers. I have comp...
400 Completed Orders
125 Student Reviews
M.sc in Electronic...
Allotting responsibilities and giving directions on achieving the targets within the team. Excellent research and creati...
350 Completed Orders
45 Student Reviews