Med-Surg nurses are the largest nursing specialty – you can find them in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and anywhere surgery is taking place. They are essential to the preparation and recovery of surgical patients.
As a well-rounded nurse, their knowledge is broad, making med surge nurses excellent problem solvers and an important asset to any hospital team.
Here’s what to expect when signing up to be a Med-Surg travel nurse.
The Basics
A Med-Surg nurse is also known as a medical-surgical nurse. This specialty has become more popular over the last decade. Med-Surg nurses provide surgical care to patients who are both in and out of the operating room.
To become a Med-Surg nurse, nurses should become a medical-surgical RN, registered nurse first assistant (RNFA), or they should earn a master’s degree in surgical nursing. The RNFA credential is most common. Nurses should check with their state nursing board about its educational requirements.
Med-Surg nurses from a travel nursing agency are in the trenches of healthcare. They help with surgical procedures, admission and discharge paperwork, post-op follow-ups, pain management, wound care, patient education, and more.
They engage in sub-specialties like general surgery, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, and plastic surgery.
Key Traits
Med-Surg nurses are integral to offering the very best pre and post-operative care possible. They ensure a patient’s comfort and safety before, during, and after anesthesia. They may even stay by a patient’s side to monitor, advocate, collaborate and provide care throughout a procedure or surgery.
These are multi-functional parts of the care team. They can be involved in all kinds of medical procedures, including regional anesthesia, general, pain management, and sedation. They start by reviewing a patient’s history. Then they work with the physician and perioperative team. They personalize each patient’s plan of care.
The modern Med-Surg nurse is empathetic, intuitive, and compassionate. Patients are often afraid and vulnerable before surgery. A Med-Surg nurse should reassure and comfort the patient while alleviating any of their anxieties. After surgery, a Med-Surg nurse must continue to focus only on the patient. While doing so, they need to always communicate and collaborate with the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and other perioperative personnel.
Finding the Perfect Position
As you consider travel nursing, Med-Surg nurses are always in high demand. These positions are often available and needed due to the broad knowledge base of Med-Surg nurses.
To land your next travel nursing job, contact Stability Healthcare today.
