My responsibilities over a week range in a variety of functions, which is another reason why I enjoy my role. What are some of your typical responsibilities over a week? It is quite an honor to observe a new nurse with the complexities of med-surg patients grow from novice to expert. It takes skill, a strong foundation, grit, and a passion as they are building their practice and developing their critical thinking skills. This is where I had the opportunity to connect with bedside staff on med-surg units, and I was able to understand that med-surg nursing is truly a specialty. My background is mostly comprised of critical care as a staff nurse, but I would teach med-surg nursing clinicals as adjunct faculty. I have had the pleasure of working with multidisciplinary teams to provide quality care to patients through a multitude of venues. I am able to influence patient care and outcomes through three spheres of practice: patients, nurses, and the system/organization. As a clinical nurse specialist, I am seen as the clinical expert and a change agent. My current role is one of the roles I have enjoyed the most during my journey. Nursing has given me a purpose outside of myself and an amazing opportunity to connect with others compassionately during vulnerable moments. My nursing journey began over 14 years ago, following a “no” from a college advisor and a passion for medicine. Tell me a little about your current role and how you got into the field of med-surg nursing. “The best days for nursing are in front of us,” says Freeman. Above all else, she sees a positive future ahead. Freeman shared her thoughts about this nursing specialty with Minority Nurse. LaToya Freeman Shares Insights on Med-Surg NursingĪ member of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN), LaToya Freeman DNP, APRN, ACCNS-AG, CPPS, HNB-BC, PCCN is also a clinical nurse specialist at Michigan Medicine. According to AMSN, “ medical-surgical nursing is the single largest nursing specialty in the United States and beyond.” Dr. Because of these choices, the opportunities for career growth in the specialty are broad. Because of this variety, med-surg nurses can find roles that work for their own lifestyles and capabilities. Being able to bounce around ideas about career growth with a more experienced med-surg nurse or being able to hear what med-surg nurses in other facilities and offices are doing in their day-to-day practice can be eye opening and inspiring.Ī career as a medical-surgical nurse offers opportunities to work in different settings and locations including hospitals, offices, and even through telehealth platforms. If you’re a med-surg nurse, the organization is one that will help you find connections that will advance your knowledge and your career.īecause med-surg nurses have so many varied opportunities to work with patients, a professional network in which they can talk with other nurses who do what they do is essential. At any given time, AMSN is monitoring and promoting varied legislation, proposed policies, and agendas that could have an impact on med-surg nurses and the patients they care for. Because med-surg nurses see so many different conditions across a spectrum of patient ages, they have a fine-tuned intuition reinforced with critical thinking.ĪMSN is a driver of change for med-surg nurses and makes advocacy a priority. Patients who are cared for by med-surg nurses depend on their deep experience to know the subtle differences in patients that can signal a potential issue. But med-surg nursing is much more than a launching pad to a different specialty. Nurses can use the platform of Medical-Surgical Nurses Week to help answer questions about this area of nursing and encourage new nurses to consider this area of the nursing profession for a long-term, rewarding career.Īlmost all nurses work in med-surg during their careers as it offers the kind of hands-on, direct interactions with patients that nurses depend on for building their skill set. According to the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN) this week is an excellent time for nurses in med-surg to advocate for themselves and for their patients. This week celebrates Medical-Surgical Nurses Week, which launches on November 1 annually. For nurses who want to spend a career constantly learning about different health conditions and issues and who enjoy the variations that come with working with patient populations that differ throughout the week, or even the day, medical-surgical nursing is an ideal career path that helps nurses specialize in this distinctly broad category of nursing When nurses think about all the career options available to them, medical-surgical nursing (known most often as med-surg) is one they hear about frequently–and there’s a good reason behind it. By Julia Quinn-Szcesuil | | Blog, Nursing Careers | 0 comments
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