Im new to exploring the nursing field and some of my questions are:

- What is a medsurge nurse?

- What does medsurge mean?

- What are the typical responsibilities of a medsurge nurse?

Thanks for the help.

6 Answers

Specializes in Med/Surge.

I work in a small hospital on a Medical/Surgical unit and you do see anything and everything. Also b/c I am at a rural hospital, our pedis go on this floor as well. Mostly where I am at, we have tons of geriatric patients with hip fx, knee replacement, but also get a good amount of post op hysterectomies, MRSA, etc. I never in my life imagined after school that I would start on a Med/Surg floor, but I absolutely have loved it!! Fast paced, and never a dull moment rest assured.

Good luck

Specializes in MICU for 4 years, now PICU for 3 years!.

I am still a student, but the floor I did my externship on was a med-surge floor... Basically you can get any type of patient on this floor, from a medical patient with a fever of unknown origin, to cardiac pt's several days out of open-heart surgery. I loved this floor, and want to work there when I graduate in June. I learned so much about all different types of patients, not just cardiac, or ortho, or renal, etc. Good Luck with your nursing career!! :)

You all almost have it right. It sounds like Medsurge when you hear it, but it's really short hand for Med-Surg, obviously medical or surgical patients. In some areas of the country, and in some institutions, it's referred to as "adult health" since Med-Surg never included children. When you look at most nursing school curricula or the specialization of nursing faculty, you'll probably see the term "adult health" or something like it.

Specializes in Assisted Living Nurse Manager.

I am a student and I have been doing my clinicals on a med-surg floor. We have had everything from joint replacements to gun shot wounds, MRSA, post surgical patients of any kind and the list goes on and on....... It has been wonderful experience and hard work. Not sure if that is what I would like to do when I graduate, but you have to admire the nurses that do. Their knowledge base is tremendous and I am in "awe" of them every time I am on the floor.

Thank you so much.

Wow...thanks all. So this floor seems like a 'gateway' to and from surgery. Is that a good description of it?

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