stupid question? med-surg

MIA-RN1, RN · Jul 6, 2005

Is med-surg typically a clinical? My school is 2 years of pre-reqs, then 2 years of nursing. In our first semester (next fall), we do not have any clinicals.. we do not start until the Spring but we have a 7 credit hour class that meets 3 times a week for about 20 hours that works on practical skills, patient care plans and requires the text books (for this one classes): Medical-surgical nursing, Medical Terminology, Essential Drug Calculations, Fundamentals of Nursing: Caring and Clinical Judgment, Nursing Diagnosis Reference Manual, Physical Exam & Health Assessment, and Springhouse Nurses's Drug Guide. Our class meets in our University's clinical center where's there's patient simulators, heart and lung sound stuff etc. and also patients are seen there (I don't know if we will see these patients?). The class is called "Health Assessment and Nursing Therapeutics" -- would this be considered my first semester of "med-surg"? Nothing in my program is actually called that.. the reason I'm asking is because I hope to work as an extern after my 2nd semester and most hospitals require 2 semesters of med-surg.. In my second semester I will have 2 clinicals, one psyc and another Acute Nursing Care of Adults and Older Adults". I wish they would just give them simpler names and actually tell us what we were doing!

that sounds maybe a bit like you are working on the skills...but are you actually going to a med-surg hospital floor?

In my school, its four semseters--first is clinical in LTC, second is med-surg in the hospital, third is half maternal/child and half psych and fourth is another med-surg.

Your best bet would be to call the school and ask.

purplemania, BSN, RN · Jul 6, 2005

I doubt it will qualify as Med/Surg. Sounds more like skills competencies. Med/Surg is a combination of lectures and clinical experience. Your employer wants you to have a certain background before externing. However, have you considered working as a CNA or Unit Clerk till graduation or senior year? You would learn bunches and be paid too!

FutureRN2005 · Jul 7, 2005

Our class meets in our University's clinical center where's there's patient simulators, heart and lung sound stuff etc. and also patients are seen there (I don't know if we will see these patients?). The class is called "Health Assessment and Nursing Therapeutics" -- would this be considered my first semester of "med-surg"? Nothing in my program is actually called that.. the reason I'm asking is because I hope to work as an extern after my 2nd semester and most hospitals require 2 semesters of med-surg.. In my second semester I will have 2 clinicals, one psyc and another Acute Nursing Care of Adults and Older Adults". I wish they would just give them simpler names and actually tell us what we were doing!

sounds like your program is like ours. If it is, the Health Assessment and Therapeutics does not count as med surg. Its where you learn your basic skills, and how to do an assessment, etc....When most hospitals say they want you to have so many semesters of med- surg to work as an extern they usually mean your acutal clinicals.

Hope this helps.

EMTtoRN · Jul 7, 2005

In my 2year ADM program we will have med surg shared with OB in the spring.

Is med-surg typically a clinical? My school is 2 years of pre-reqs, then 2 years of nursing. In our first semester (next fall), we do not have any clinicals.. we do not start until the Spring but we have a 7 credit hour class that meets 3 times a week for about 20 hours that works on practical skills, patient care plans and requires the text books (for this one classes): Medical-surgical nursing, Medical Terminology, Essential Drug Calculations, Fundamentals of Nursing: Caring and Clinical Judgment, Nursing Diagnosis Reference Manual, Physical Exam & Health Assessment, and Springhouse Nurses's Drug Guide. Our class meets in our University's clinical center where's there's patient simulators, heart and lung sound stuff etc. and also patients are seen there (I don't know if we will see these patients?). The class is called "Health Assessment and Nursing Therapeutics" -- would this be considered my first semester of "med-surg"? Nothing in my program is actually called that.. the reason I'm asking is because I hope to work as an extern after my 2nd semester and most hospitals require 2 semesters of med-surg.. In my second semester I will have 2 clinicals, one psyc and another Acute Nursing Care of Adults and Older Adults". I wish they would just give them simpler names and actually tell us what we were doing!

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Jul 7, 2005

The hospitals in my town are already familiar with the nursing schools, and therefore know how much clinical time you have. At the hospital I extern at, the requirements were 2 semesters of an ADN program, or 3 semesters of a BSN program completed. You might want to call the hospital that you plan on working at as an extern and verify what they want/require.