Med-Surg Nurse: 5 Steps to Successfully Become one
Med-Surg is one of the subjects that nursing students are required to learn. Do you find it interesting? Do you want to develop your career as a Medical and Surgical nurse? If yes, read this post to know more about this kind of nurse and how to be a Med-Surg nurse successfully. In this article, we are introducing you to an overall look at Med-Surg nurses and their job outlook. Let’s roll the major part!
1. What is Medical and Surgical nursing?
Med-Surg is a shortened name of the term Medical and Surgical in nursing. Medical-surgical nursing is the most common nursing specialty in the United States and across the world. Their patients are adults with a range of medical concerns or who are preparing for recovering from surgery. Overall, they have extensive expertise and are specialists in their field. In addition, medical-surgical nurses have excellent organizing, prioritizing, evaluation, and communication abilities, and they are leaders in interprofessional healthcare teams.
2. What does a Med-Surg nurse do?
First and foremost, a med-surg nurse’s major job is to provide patient care and safety. Specifically, their patients may have a medical issue such as a disease or illness, or recover from surgery that needs special care treatment.
Generally, the major responsibility of a Med-Surg nurse are included:
- Check for the medications
- Injury care and changing the dressing
- Evaluate the condition of patients and perform patient care efficiently
- Check and update patient’s records
- Operation equipment
- Running blood tests on patients
3. How to become a Med-Surg nurse?
3.1. Completing a registered nurse education program
First and foremost, every nurse needs to complete their nursing education program. To be a med/surg nurse, you should earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. In addition, this program will take you at least 4 years of learning. If you don’t want to spend this duration, you can choose Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). However, not every hospital and organization accepts this kind of certificate, thus, it is better if you are a bachelor’s student.
3.2. Passing the NCLEX exam
The second step of this progress is to pass the NCLEX-RN exam. This test is designed to ensure the quality of nurses for public health safety. In short, this test includes from 60 to 145 questions, in the computerized format. In addition, you also have to work under time constraint, which is 5 hours to complete the test.
>> See more: NCLEX-RN Exam
3.3. Practicing to be a licensed RN
It is vital to spend your time and practice understanding all the requirements and how an RN works. Thus, you should check your state nursing board to choose the place you want to practice and work at during this time.
3.4. Starting your med- surg nursing career
A career as a medical-surgical nurse might be an entry-level role in a hospital or other clinical environment. In most cases, new graduate nurses are allocated an internship with a preceptor for on-the-job training with an experienced nurse. From this moment, you can officially work as a nurse and start your professional career.
3.5. Becoming a certified med-surg registered nurse (CMSRN)
After two years and 2000 hours of practice experience, you can choose to advance your career as a certified med-surg registered nurse. This credential type of nurse brings you the benefit of not only salary but also the job outlook.
4. What is the salary and job outlook for a Med-Surg nurse?
4.1. Med-Surg nurse salary
To be honest, this is the most expected part of this article. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Med-Surg nurse salary was $75,330 and ranged from $53,410 to $116,230. In addition, the salary will differ depending on a lot of features, such as state, age, or experience. Moreover, all the Med-Surg nurse also earn from overtime duration as night shift, weekends, or holidays. That’s why the salary number is not really appropriate for what they receive. However, it is a good payment to receive already.
>> See more: Nurse salary: How do nurses make?
4.2. Med-Surg nurse job outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for Med-surg nurses is expected to grow from 7% to 9% by 2029. This rate will increase rapidly in the near future due to the demand of the healthcare industry.
5. Tips to study for Med-Surg effectively
5.1. Spend enough time studying
Firstly, it is not wise to spend short or even no time learning before the exam. Do you believe that you will pass the test without studying? Therefore, our first and ahead suggestion is to make your own plan to study. Moreover, some instructors will send you a study guide before an exam that includes crucial key themes that will be on the exam. Do not dismiss this information because it is generally quite useful. Create a study plan for each item on the study guide and utilize a study guidebook to help you break down the essential topics.
5.2.Take the NCLEX practice questions
All the Med-Surg tests have the same format as the NCLEX exam. Thus, it’s obvious that you should do at least one NCLEX practice test. In brief, what is the best NCLEX study method for Med-Surg nurse? The best tactic is to schedule and apportion knowledge reasonably for each day. You should start by doing the basic practice test and then increasing the level. Additionally, simulator your own test and do it as the actual test, set time, no materials or searching tool is a good way to familiarize yourself. It is a huge difference between only reading and reading to swallow the knowledge and taking an actual practice test. Consequently, our website NCLEX practice test can help you in this situation. We provide a system of levels and allow you to create your own mock test. We are available on the App store and CH Play also, you can download it to practice now, it’s totally FREE!
5.3. Form a group to study
Furthermore, your study process will be more effective if you find a group of friends to help you. All the group members can participate, have discussions and give opinions to understand clearly all the knowledge. In addition, working in groups also motivates and boosts your learning mood to a positive level.
In conclusion, all medical jobs are rewardable. Thus, we all respect your effort in serving the public. Besides, we have already given you general information about Med-Surg nurses, what are they, what their duties are, and some tips to study for the Med-Surg subject. If you want to study more, you can practice in our NCLEX-RN Med/Surg Practice Test. Good luck with your exam!