Vital and versatile: The importance of medical-surgical nursing and knowledge
Medical-surgical nursing is the largest nursing specialty in the United States, with approximately 25% of nurses working in this role (Dierkes et. al., 2021). The professionals who specialize in medical-surgical nursing are integral to patient care in settings ranging from hospitals to homes. In short, their role is both versatile and vital.
Nurses who provide medical-surgical care manage a wide range of conditions, including acute respiratory, cardiovascular, hematologic, renal, endocrine, gastrointestinal, neurosensory, musculoskeletal, and infectious disorders. They also coordinate care among interprofessional teams in all types of patient care settings.
Medical-surgical nursing reflects professional practice rather than care location
“Medical-surgical nursing is defined by practice rather than location,” said Robin Hertel, EdS, MSN, CMSRN, FAMSN, a past president of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN). Hertel’s observation reflects the work of a task force commissioned by AMSN’s Board of Directors to describe the distinguishing characteristics of medical-surgical nursing practice (AMSN, 2019).
The AMSN recently updated the scope and standards for medical-surgical nursing, including an adjusted definition of the specialty to reflect the changing practice landscape., in the 7th edition of Scope and Standards of Medical-Surgical Nursing Practice.
“Nurses practicing in this specialty area require a broad knowledge base and often care for clients with a wide range of ages,” Hertel said.
Medical-surgical nurses have advanced organization, assessment, and communication skills in addition to the ability to prioritize and re-prioritize as the needs of clients or teams change, she added.
Medical-surgical nursing can be a challenging part of the nursing curriculum
A nurse’s first exposure to medical-surgical care is during their academic nursing program. A medical-surgical course can be a challenging experience for both students and faculty. This is due in large part to the complexities of disease states and healthcare delivery.
Enhance your med-surg teaching
“One of the biggest challenges is the mindset that the med-surg class and clinical rotation are ‘something you just have to get through,’ rather than recognizing med-surg as a specialty area that is complex and varied in the types of diagnoses, the variation in client ages and needs, and the coordination of care,” Hertel said.
Due to the complexity of medical-surgical information, students can experience content overload, she said. “Med-surg is a broad area requiring faculty and students to be knowledgeable about neurology, cardiology, pulmonology, endocrinology, orthopedics, the integumentary, gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems — and more.
“Within each of these areas, the student must develop an understanding of the physiology, pathophysiology, manifestations, risk factors, treatments, complications, and client education needs,” Hertel continued.
“Add to that the advances in medications and the use of genomics to create designer medications — as well as the increasing acuity and complexity of care for med-surg patients and the importance of interprofessional collaboration in providing evidence-based care. No wonder it’s a challenge for faculty to remain current and for students to develop an understanding of the content.”
Another challenge faculty members face is that in addition to providing students with the didactic information associated with this specialty, they must integrate the experiential learning that enables students to identify and mitigate health inequities and disparities.
The introduction of new education mandates has increased the breadth of teaching required. Hertel explained that The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity (National Academies of Medicine, 2021), charges faculty and schools of nursing to strengthen curricula to address complex socioeconomic and environmental factors that impact med-surg clients in acute care settings and in the community at large — including public health, home health, and telehealth.
Interactive learning and teaching resources can help faculty teach med-surg content
Engage™️ Adult Medical-Surgical, an interactive teaching and learning solution, can help faculty meet the challenges associated with teaching medical-surgical content, Hertel said. As a senior nursing content and training specialist for Ascend Learning Healthcare, Hertel played a key role in developing content and features for Engage Adult Medical-Surgical. (ATI Nursing Education is an Ascend Learning Healthcare brand.)
“Engage Adult Medical-Surgical includes videos, animations, simulations, virtual applications, podcasts, 3D visualizations, and case studies, all of which help students deepen their understanding and develop clinical judgment,” Hertel said. “It provides interactive, need-to-know information for students and newly licensed nurses so that they learn and retain the most important information for practice.”
The modules in Engage Adult Medical-Surgical focus on the nurse’s role in caring for patients with health alterations, emphasizing evidence-based practice and interprofessional collaboration. Modules cover anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, disease manifestations, diagnostics, and treatments. Engage Adult Medical-Surgical also integrates recommendations from the Future of Nursing report, highlighting the importance of addressing health disparities and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
The interactive elements of the dynamic experience provided by Engage Adult Medical-Surgical allow students to apply their knowledge in simulated scenarios. This enhances their understanding of med-surg content in ways that textbooks cannot, Hertel explained.
The content in Engage Adult Medical-Surgical — and in all other solutions in the Engage™️ Series — is developed based on published evidence and updated annually. This ensures that each program’s curriculum stays current with the latest clinical practices.
A particularly valuable feature of Engage Adult Medical-Surgical and the Engage Series is its ability to keep students active and interested. One of the mechanisms for this is frequent opportunities to check student understanding using various question types.
The content in Engage Adult Medical-Surgical is designed to be immediately applicable in clinical settings, helping students develop and reinforce their clinical judgment skills during clinical. The platform also includes skills reviews for procedures such as end-of-life care, tracheostomy care, ostomy care, and more. Engage Adult Medical-Surgical provides step-by-step descriptions and rationales for these important knowledge checks.
The Engage Series helps nursing students develop clinical judgment
A critical component of Engage Adult Medical-Surgical and the Engage Series is a focus on developing clinical judgment. Through quizzes, test banks, and case studies, these solutions encourage students to think critically and make informed decisions. This helps prepare students for the NCLEX as well as for real-world clinical environments, where sound clinical judgment is crucial, Hertel said.
Medical-surgical nursing is a vital specialty that requires a thorough evidence-based educational approach. Resources are available to help faculty meet the challenges associated with teaching med-surg content. Engage Adult Medical-Surgical supports educators and enhances student learning through interactive, evidence-based content.
References
Dierkes, A., Schlak, A., French, R., McHugh, M., & Aiken, L. (2021). Why some nurses obtain specialty certification and others do not. Journal of Nursing Administration, 51(5). doi: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000001009. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33882552/
Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses. (2019). What is medical-surgical nursing? https://amsn.org/Education/Competency-Framework
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2021). The future of nursing 2020-2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. The National Academies Press. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34524769/
