The role of a Medical-Surgical Nurse requires you to take care of adult patients. As a nurse, you will be following the healthcare plans as directed by the physician. You will be taking care of patients that have undergone surgery and it includes round-the-clock care for them. Good communication skills are a must as you will be coordinating with medical professionals and checking up on the medications. You also have to educate the patients with self-care and after-care for proper recovery. Medical-Surgical Nurses work at hospitals, clinics, or any other healthcare facility.
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Job Description – Medical Surgical Nurse
As a Medical Surgical Nurse, you have to monitor the health status of the patients and provide them with proper care. You will be in charge of taking care of their daycare and see if there are any vital signs. Also, you will be taking care of the medications and this might also include performing some tests as prescribed by the physician. You should have previous experience in the same field for after-surgery care. A Medical Surgical Nurse has to stay focused during the job and one has to perform some intensive tasks while taking notes on the health of the patient.
A successful Medical Surgical Nurse is required to possess good knowledge of different health conditions. You should be able to work under pressure as the job requires you to perform sudden functions. You have to focus on all that you’ve learned so far and use that knowledge to help patients recover from surgery wounds. Make reports whenever required and share them with the physician to get proper guidance on the medications and tests.
Skills Required – Medical Surgical Nurse
To work as a Medical-Surgical Nurse, you have to be caring and compassionate about your job. This job requires you to help patients recover from after-surgery wounds by planning everything with the help of the information you get from the physician. You have to plan the healthcare and meals for the patient that can help them recover from the condition they are suffering from.
Job Responsibilities – Medical Surgical Nurse
- You will be accessing the situation and you will also be planning the care plans for patients with proper consultation with the healthcare professionals.
- You also need to create a report out of the tests and make it detail-oriented to help the professionals understand the report easily.
- Providing bedside care for patients in severe conditions for pre and post-surgery care. You also need to teach them self-care for the future.
- You will also be changing bandage dressings regularly to prevent infections around the wound.
- Preparing the plan for medications as prescribed by the patient and giving proper doses on time.
- Starting intravenous drips and inserting caterers are also a part of this job.
- Collaborating with healthcare professionals to know the right time for discharge
- Knowing the use of advanced medical equipment and also adjusting them to record proper measurements for the report
- Monitoring the reactions to the medications prescribed and informing the same to a physician to get it removed or replaced
- Educating the patient and their family members about everything they need to know about the surgery and post-surgery care and process
- Maintaining the patient’s report files and collating them all in one place for the health records
- You have to emphasize some situations and for that, you have to be caring.
- Assisting healthcare professionals during or after surgery
Job Requirements – Medical Surgical Nurse
- You should have a Bachelor’s in Nursing or a related field.
- It is preferred if you have MS-RN certification.
- Nursing licensure approved by the State
- You should be able to work extended shifts and rotate your workdays between public holidays and weekends.
- Experience in monitoring different medical conditions
- You should have good problem-solving and analytical skills to find the right way to treat emergencies.
- You should hold knowledge of e-MDs Chart and Mediexcel to maintain the proper health records of patients.
- Detailed knowledge of medical equipment and medical-surgical nursing
- You should have at least 2 years of experience working as a medical-surgical nurse.
Read more: How to Become a Surgical Tech
Frequently Asked Questions
1
Is it necessary to have experience working as a Medical-Surgical Nurse?
Ans. Yes, it is highly preferred for healthcare clinics and hospitals to recruit people with at least 2 years of experience. You need to have experience before working in such a tense atmosphere and you should have the proper knowledge of various health conditions.
2
Where to find a job opportunity for the position of Medical-Surgical Nurse?
Ans. To find a job opportunity for the position of Medical-Surgical Nurse, you can go for walk-ins directly. But, you can also find many of them on the internet. A quick google search will surely help you find many employers looking to hire Medical-Surgical Nurses. This will also help you understand the job requirements and you can look for a job near home.