Become a Nurse >> Browse Articles >> Specialties >> Med-Surg Nursing

Med-Surg Nursing

Featured Author:

Jennifer Fink, RN, BSN

Jennifer L.W. Fink, RN, BSN, is a Registered Nurse who has been writing professionally for over 10 years. As a med-surg and transplant nurse, she worked hard to develop a rapport with her patients, to teach them according to their needs and to provide them with information and options. Today, she uses those same skills in her writing career. She is very interested in professional issues in nursing. Follow Jennifer on Facebook and Twitter.

More articles from this author:

• 5 Reasons to Get a PhD/DNP
• Public Health Nursing
• 5 Reasons to Get a MSN

Critical Skills

A good med-surg nurse should be:

• Compassionate. Med-surg nurses care for patients of all ages from all walks of life. Some are sick because of life choices. The best med-surg nurses care for all of their patients equally.
• Creative. Informed, out-of-the-box-thinking is a great asset for a med-surg nurse. More than one med-surg nurse has calmed a fidgety, confused elderly woman by handing her a pile of washcloths to fold.
• A critical thinker. Med-surg nurses constantly assess their patients and analyze information.
• Quick on her feet. Patients’ conditions can change in a heartbeat. A med-surg nurse must be prepared to rearrange her plan for the day based on what’s tossed her way.
• Cooperative. Even the best med-surg nurses need help. Nurses who are willing to help others are more likely to get help when they ask for it.

Education

Med-surg nurses should be graduates of accredited schools of nursing. Experience in adult health is a plus, but not required.

New grads are welcomed in med-surg. In fact, for years, med-surg was considered the “first stop” after nursing school. Many nurses still think that a stint in med-surg provides a solid foundation for future nursing practice. Carolyn Newstrom, RN, of California, believes that med-surg is an ideal place for new grads – but realizes that not everyone can (or wants to) score a position in med-surg after graduation. “Right now, the barrier is the ratio of med-surg openings to the number of new grads,” Newstrom explains. Although there’s a nationwide nursing shortage, not all hospitals are hiring med-surg nurses at the present time.

Dedicated med-surg nurses may apply for specialty certification. Both the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) offer certification exams. Licensed RNs with at least two years of med-surg experience and 2000 hours of practice time over the last three years are eligible to sit for the exams.

Salary

According to salaryexpert.com, the average compensation for a med-surg nurse is between $55,000 and $80,000 per year. Salaries vary based on experience and hours worked (off-shifts and weekends often pay differentials; overtime is usually time-and-a-half.) Med-surg nurses who work for staffing agencies typically make more than med-surg nurses on staff.

How to Choose the Perfect Nursing School

Which Nursing Degree is Right for Me?

Signs You're a Student Nurse