Medical Surgical Nurse Duties and Responsibilities

Medical surgical nursing is a critical area within the Healthcare field because it involves providing care to patients before, after, and during the surgical procedure. They assist at all times to provide the best care and notice everything.

Surgical nurses play a pivotal role in ensuring the well-being and recovery of patients in a surgical setting. In this article, we will explore the duties and responsibilities of medical-surgical nurses and highlight their essential role in patient care.

Medical Surgical Nurse Duties and Responsibilities

Preoperative care

Medical surgical nurses play an important role in the preoperative phase of any surgery and it involves various tasks like:

Assessing and preparing patients: in the preoperative phase, nurses assess patients’ medical history in which they write about their chief complaint, medical history, allergy (if any), and past treatment history. Along with that they also write vital signs and overall health status to identify any potential risks or complications. They also provide information about the surgical procedure, answer questions and offer emotional support to relax patients.
Educating patients and their families: Nurses educate patients and their families about preoperative procedures such as fasting requirements, some Medicine administration, preparation, and use of preoperative skin preparation. They provide instructions for postoperative care and recovery of the patients. They educate patients’ families about how to take care of them before and after surgery.
Collaborating with the surgical team: surgical nurses work closely with surgeons, anaesthesiologists, and other doctors nurses to ensure a smooth transition from preoperative to intraoperative care. Their work is to prepare the operation theatre in the preoperative phase and make sure everything which is going to be used during the operation is sanitized and kept in place. Along with that they also verify patients’ identities and review consent forms.

Intraoperative care

Surgical nurses play an important role during surgery. They have various responsibilities, including:

Assisting the surgical team: nurses provide support to the surgical team by ensuring a sterile environment, handling instruments according to their needs and supplies, and maintaining accurate documentation. They anticipate the needs of the team and promptly respond to any emergent situation.
Monitoring patients: This is one of the main jobs of nurses. They closely monitor the patient’s vital signs, anesthesia administration, fluid balance, and blood loss during surgery. They coordinate with anesthesiologists to ensure patients remain stable throughout the procedure. They monitor the heart rate and blood pressure of patients continuously and immediately inform the doctor if there is something wrong.
Advocating for patient safety: they play a crucial role in patient safety, continuously assessing the position of patients, ensuring correct identification of patients, and preventing potential complications such as surgical site infection and Deep vein thrombosis. Patients need to take care of a lot of things after surgery.

Postoperative care

After the surgical procedure, surgical nurses provide comprehensive postoperative care, which includes:

Monitoring recovery of patients: nurses closely monitor patients in the immediate postoperative period, assessing vital signs, pain level, and signs of complications. They provide intervention to manage pain, administer medication and assist with wound care.
Assessing with mobility and rehabilitation: They help patients to regain mobility and independence by assisting them with ambulation and providing education on postoperative care, physical therapy exercise, and lifestyle modification. They educate patients’ families about how to take care of patients after surgery and what all precautions need to be taken.
Emotional support and patient education: along with taking care of patients nurses also provide emotional support to patients and their families during their recovery period. They educate patients on self-care at home, medication management, and the sigh of potential complications that require immediate attention.
Collaborating with other healthcare professionals: nurses also collaborate with other healthcare professionals to ensure a comprehensive and holistic approach to patient care. These other healthcare professionals can be physical therapists, nutritionists, social workers, etc.

How to become a medical surgical nurse?

Becoming a medical surgical nurse requires a combination of education, clinical experience, and certification. Here are the general steps:

Obtain a Nursing degree
Pass the NCLEX-RN Exam
Gain experience
Pursue continuing education
Gain medical surgical nursing experience
Stay updated and engaged
Consider advanced degree
Maintain license and certification

You should remember that the specific requirements for becoming a medical-surgical nurse may vary depending on your location and the Healthcare institute you wish to work in. It is important to research and understand the specific requirements and understand specific requirements and regulations in your area.

Conclusion

Medical surgical nurses play a critical role in providing comprehensive care to patients before, during, and after surgery. Their duties and responsibilities encompass preoperative assessment and preparation, intraoperative support and monitoring, and postoperative care and education. By ensuring patient safety, facilitating recovery, and offering emotional support, medical-surgical nurses contribute significantly to the well-being and successful outcome of surgical patients. They ensure that patients will get the best care. They also educate patients and their families about pre and post-operative care and precautions.

References

A 36-Hospital Time and Motion Study: How Do Medical-Surgical Nurses Spend Their Time?: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3037121/
Nurse staffing and postsurgical adverse events: an analysis of administrative data from a sample of U.S. hospitals, 1990-1996: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12132597/
Nurse staffing and quality of patient care: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17764206/