What Is Medical-Surgical Nursing?

Medical-surgical or med-surg nursing provides care to pediatric and adult patients with various medical conditions, including issues that may require surgery. A versatile member of the heathcare team, med-surg nurses work in the operating room, the exam room, the patient’s room, and beyond. Med-surg nurses are frequently found in the hospital or inpatient setting, and over time often specialize into more niche disciplines, such as a specific set of medical conditions.

With this in mind, it may not come as a surprise that about 1.75 million registered nurses (RN) work in a med-surge setting, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That’s easily the most common work setting for RNs, with physicians’s offices coming in second with about 220,000.

What is med-surg nursing, and how can you get involved in the field? Explore the med-surg nursing specialty to see if it’s right for you.

Med-surg nursing typically occurs in an inpatient hospital setting; however, nurses can practice in outpatient clinics, patient homes, or provide care through telehealth.

Med-surg nurses take on multiple roles and responsibilities to give safe and effective care to pediatric and adult surgical patients and patients needing medical attention. Some of the roles and responsibilities include:

Like many nurses working in hospital settings, full-time med-surg nurses are required to work 13 days out of the month. Shifts last 12 hours, with holidays and weekends covered on a rotating basis. Working full-time in a hospital often allows med-surg nurses to opt into professional benefits, like health insurance.

In an outpatient setting, such as a dermatology practice, full-time medical-surgical nurses typically work 4-5 days per week, eight- or 10-hour shifts. Nurses can choose to participate in healthcare benefits offered by their employer.

Part-time or per-diem nurse schedules may vary if they work in inpatient or outpatient facilities. Their employer may not offer healthcare benefits.

In med-surg nursing, you are a critical part of the healthcare team, ensuring patients are improving and well-informed on their health status. Among other members of the care team, med-surg nurses work in collaboration with:

To become a medical-surgical nurse a nursing license is required. Two main pathways to a nursing license are a two-year associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a four-year bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). After you earn your nursing degree, you must take the national standardized NCLEX-RN examination to become an RN.

After a few years of experience in medical-surgical nursing, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN) offer certifications in med-surg nursing.

ANCC certification requirements include:

For AMSN certification, you must have two years of med-surg nursing experience and at least 2,000 hours as a med-surg nurse within the last three years.

Medical-surgical nurses can expect extensive on-the-job orientation and training from experienced nurses and nurse educators.

Med-surg nursing typically involves caring for patients in a medical or surgical inpatient unit of a hospital or outpatient clinic.

Med-surg nursing is characterized by caring for patients with medical conditions. It also involves caring for patients before, after, and during recovery.

Many nurses begin their careers in med-surg to gain experience and skills applied to almost any nursing specialty. Medical-surgical nurses can choose to work with adults or pediatric populations in various subspecialties. Subspecialty units include:

The pros and cons of any job depend on each person’s personality, lifestyle, and goals. For example, some nurses thrive in a fast-paced ER setting, while others may find the stress unsustainable. Other nurses find deep meaning in treating terminal patients, which other nurses might find very distressing. Be sure to consider these pros and cons of med-surg nursing from your perspective.

Safe staffing has always been a concern in the nursing profession. The American Nurses Association (ANA) has issued a statement emphasizing the need for and benefits of nurse-to-patient ratios.

In addition to local cost of living and demand, experience, certification, and responsibilities affect medical-surgical nursing salaries. The BLS reports that the average yearly med-surg nursing salary is $94,480, and the average hourly wage is $45.42.

Traveling medical-surgical nursing often pays higher salaries but may have higher expenses, along with the stress of adjusting to a new workplace and being away from home. The BLS projects that RN jobs will grow 6% between 2023 and 2033, faster than the 3% average for all occupations. However, demand may be considerably higher in certain parts of the country, especially those with a higher proportion of older adults and in rural areas.