Medical surgical nursing is one of the most common jobs for registered nurses in the United States. In fact, over 50% of all nurses work in some type of medical-surgical unit. Becoming a med-surg nurse means you will enjoy great job security, be in demand no matter where you live, build a large set of skills, and have endless opportunities for learning and career growth. Med-surg nurses are known for being adaptable, quick on their feet, great time managers, and calm under pressure.
Related: Preventing Surgical Errors: Patient Safety and Checklists
Medical surgical units
Medical surgical units typically have more variety in their patient population than any other type of unit. Many medical-surgical units also take overflow from specialized units when those units are full. Working in med-surg means you will learn about many disease processes, surgeries, chronic illnesses, and more.
Typically, medical-surgical units see the following types of patients:
- General surgery recovery
- Orthopedic surgery recovery
- Pneumonia, asthma exacerbations, and COPD
- Bacteremia and sepsis
- Advanced wound care
- Heart failure
- Neurological conditions including seizures and paralysis
- Traumatic injury recovery
- Psychological problems
Depending on the hospital, some medical surgical units can take overflow patients from oncology, specialized cardiac floors, post-anesthesia care units, and even step-down units.
In addition to having the widest variety of patients, medical-surgical floors are also known for being one of the busiest. Most nurses working on a med-surg unit will take anywhere from 5-8 patients at a time, or more if they are short-staffed. In addition, most patients only stay on the unit for a few days, and patients are always being admitted and discharged, meaning a nurse covering 5 rooms may see up to 10 patients in a day.
Steps to becoming a med-surg nurse
If working in a fast-paced environment appeals to you, you might consider becoming a med-surg nurse. Many nurses consider med-surg units to be the best place to start a nursing career, which can make the application process very competitive.
- Earn your nursing degree. Nurses must complete at least an associate degree in nursing before taking their licensing exam. Many healthcare organizations will not hire new nurses who have not completed a four-year bachelor’s degree. Students in accelerated programs may be able to complete a bachelor’s degree in as little as two years.
- Pass the NCLEX-RN. The National Counsel Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) is an examination that every nurse must pass before they can begin working as a nurse. The exam is difficult and requires a lot of preparation but had an 88% first-time passing rate in 2023.
- Build your resume. You can build a great resume, even without any previous work experience. Add information about your education, any volunteer work you have completed, leadership opportunities you have had, or extracurricular activities you participated in.
- Apply for jobs. When you are looking for a job in a med-surg unit, you may be able to use websites like indeed.com or monster.com. Many hospitals post their jobs on their organization’s website.
- Practice interviewing. Practice is the best way to improve any skill, including interviewing. Ask a family member or friend to conduct mock interviews with you so you can get more comfortable answering questions and talking about yourself in a less intimidating setting.
- Work toward additional certifications. If you are having difficulty landing a job, you may need to obtain some additional certifications to improve your chances of being hired. Med Surg units typically appreciate their employees having special skills in geriatric care, wound care, and basic life support.
Additional certifications
While medical surgical units tend to have more variety than other units, there are a few additional certifications that are especially helpful for med-surg nurses. These include:
- CMSRN (Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse): CMSRN certification
- CWCN (Certified Wound Care Nurse): CWCN certification
- COCN (Certified Ostomy Care Nurse): COCN certification
- CCCN (Certified Continence Care Nurse): CCCN certification
- CWON (Certified Wound Ostomy Nurse): CWON certification
- BLS (Basic Life Support): BLS/CPR certification
Related: 20-Hour Certified Wound Care Nurse Exam Prep Online Course
Workplace opportunities as a med-surg nurse
When most people think of med-surg nursing, they think about working in a hospital unit. However, since med-surg nurses have so much knowledge, they can find work in many different places. Med-surg nurses often work in:
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Skilled nursing facilities
- Universities
- Urgent care centers
- Long-term care units
- Home health
- Ambulatory care units
- Surgical centers
- Outpatient care centers
Special skills
Medical surgical units have long been considered entry-level nursing jobs. However, med-surg nurses have been getting the respect and recognition they deserve as more and more people begin to understand the advanced skills needed to work as a medical-surgical nurse.
Med-surg nurses must have excellent communication and time management skills, an ability to remain calm during a crisis, be detail-oriented, and can juggle several different tasks and organize them in order of importance. In addition, med-surg nurses must be adaptable, quick learners and have a strong foundation of nursing knowledge.
