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Overview:
Although most people associate med/surg nursing with caring
for patients in a hospital after illness, injury or surgery,
the field actually encompasses nurses who care for adults
with acute health conditions, whether in outpatient facilities,
hospitals or long-term care facilities. Elements of care may
include patient education, pain management, case management,
discharge planning and other interventions to restore or maintain
patients' physical and psychosocial health.
Typical
venues: health care facilities, outpatient clinics, long-term
care facilities or other organizations that treat adult acute
health care needs
Education:
active RN licensure
Certification
available: certification offered through:
American
Nurses Credentialing Center
600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 100 West
Washington, D.C. 20024-2571
(800) 284-2378
General
certification information, including links to FAQs
Specific
information about specialty certification
Specific information about clinical nurse specialist certification
Job
outlook: Nursing as a whole will be one of the top 10
fastest growing professions in the United States in the next
decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Since
med/surg nurses comprise the largest component of nursing
specialties, the outlook for employment is great. Opportunities
in hospitals, however, are expected to grow more slowly than
in other settings.
Opportunities:
great variety of patients; good broad-based foundation of
nursing
Challenges:
Patient acuity increasing while patient loads are generally
increasing as well.
For
More Information:
Academy
of Medical/Surgical Nurses
East Holly Ave., P.O. Box 56
Pitman, N.J. 08071-0056
(856) 256-2323
Fax (856) 589-7463
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