Definition of Medical Surgical Nursing

Nurses give holistic care in a variety of settings. Not only do they work in hospitals, medical offices and clinics, but also in community health care and even in private homes. A nurse must be able to assess a patient's needs and use his or her skills to help the patient. Nurses can practice in many areas, such as oncology, pediatrics or maternal care, or as a medical surgical nurse.

What is a Medical Surgical Nurse?

• Medical surgical nurses are required to be proficient in all systems of the body: digestive, skeletal, muscular, lymphatic, endocrine, nervous, cardiovascular, reproductive and urinary. They can work in a hospital, in home care, or in long-term or acute-care facilities. Medical surgical nurses care for and assess patients who recently have had surgery or those who are being treated with pharmaceuticals.

History of Medical Surgical Nursing

• Nursing has always been a part of human existence. In the earliest times one woman cared for another during child birth. In the middle ages religious orders cared for the sick, although it was always segregated by sex--males with males and females with females. Florence Nightingale may have been the first person who fit the mold of a medical surgical nurse. During the Eurasian Crimean War in the 1850s she cared for men who had been wounded, operated on or who had become sick. Today the medical surgical nurse follows in her footsteps and even takes the Florence Nightingale oath upon graduation.

The Job Market

• Almost 600,000 new jobs will become available for registered nurses, or RNs, in 2010-2011, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the bureau doesn't specifically mention medical surgical nursing, a medical surgical nurse can fill in in most areas, so the job market is wide open.You can be a traveling nurse or work near your home in a hospital. There are signing bonuses and bonuses for referring friends. The average salary for a registered nurse, including a medical surgical nurse, is more than $62,000 per year.

Where to Study

• Most large universities and colleges and some community colleges have a nursing program. The degree will not be specifically in medical surgical nursing, but all programs include extensive rotations in the field, which may include a stint in medical surgical nursing. If you do a two-year program in a community college you leave as a registered nurse, while if you finish a four-year program you will have a BSN (bachelor of science in nursing).

Why Become A Medical Surgical Nurse?

• If you are the type of person who wants something different every day and the type who wants to help people, medical surgical nursing may offer you the challenge you want. Be ready to handle stressful situations, but also be ready to have a rewarding career.