What to expect for Med-Surg?

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Dec 15, 2010

There's a point to this...

Aside from statistics, I never took math beyond college algebra when I was in college. That said, I can do algebra, but I can't apply a lot of math to a given situation. I was eventually told that you can't really understand and apply a lot of math until about calculus II.

I think the same may be said for nursing fundamentals, foundations, or whatever your program calls it. It's not a detailed class, and it doesn't teach much at all about disease process or fixing people. I think part of the struggle for my classmates was that they were trying to figure out things, like at a calculus II level, when they were only taking a fundamental class, like college algebra except in this instance fundamentals is algebra, and med-surg II is calculus II. It'll just take time, and I wouldn't sweat it. I bet it's more interesting and fulfilling as a course.

If I had never taken upteen science classes, taught A&P, nor worked in healthcare then the fundamental (foundations) class may have been puzzling as it was for many. Fortunately, it wasn't. In January I start acute care, or med-surg I, and I'm looking forward to it because I hope it is more interest pleasing than foundations was.

Nurse Kyles, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2010

I didn't think that Med-Surg was too hard of a class. (Here it is called Health Alterations) Like Thatguy stated, your nursing education just keeps building on itself. The fundamentals class is necessary (though boring) to build the foundation of the nursing process and therapeutic communication. Med-Surg is extremely interesting, but differs from previous science classes that you took as pre-reqs. The key is to understand that simple memorization gets you no where. You must use the nursing process to think critically, synthesize and apply the knowledge you have. I found the Med-Surg clinical extremely helpful in putting all of the pieces together.

FYI: I didn't get an A, but rather a strong B. In my opinion, it will be quite challenging to get an A, but you will be able to do so if you are excellent at applying your knowledge. A for Application :)

Good luck to you!

nalaa83 · Dec 16, 2010

Thanks for the input. I want to do my best in this class and maintain a good gpa because I want to go to graduate school. Before the semester starts I will start reading up on Diabetes because I know that it will be what we first start about, based on the students that just finished the course. I am so nervous because with school I do have a full-time job and a 4 year old son. So it a little rough but I am going to try my best. Thanks again for the input.

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2010

Starting with diabetes? Odd.

ErinRN2B · Dec 16, 2010

I'm in a two-year ASN program, and just completed my first semester of Med/Surg. I thought it was very difficult - I got a B in it, and I'm usually an 'A student.' It wasn't as bad as some people say it is, though. We mostly learned about diseases (not treatments) of the different body systems. Some were pretty easy, I thought (digestive, respiratory) and others were REALLY tricky (acid/base imbalances). I have Med/Surg II next semester, which focuses more on treatments for different disorders. It's supposed to be much harder, so I hope I don't struggle too much.

One thing that I thought was really helpful for studying for exams this semester was making charts for every body system that we studied. For each disorder I would list the patho, signs and symptoms, etiology, diagnostic tests, and any other notes I could think of.