Med-Surg Nurses Week 2023 Essay Contest: The Meaning of the Specialty

Celebrating Med-Surg Nurses Week 2023, the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN) launched an essay contest. Participants were asked to share their motivations and experiences in medical-surgical nursing. The contest provided a glimpse into the lives and thoughts of these dedicated professionals.

The responses were filled with power and pride as medical-surgical nurses shared stories, memories, and the specialty’s impact on patients’ lives and patient care. Read on as you celebrate #MSNW23 with your colleagues, and congratulations to essay contest winner Valsamma Abraham, RN, MSN/ED, MTh, CMSRN! Read Valsamma’s award-winning submission here:

Of all the areas of the nursing profession, why did you choose to pursue medical-surgical nursing?

Medical-surgical nursing is a demanding yet incredibly rewarding field within healthcare. It is not an easy area to work in because it requires a unique blend of skills, dedication, and, most importantly, a deep passion for helping others. This essay will explain why I chose to be a medical-surgical nurse, focusing on the boundless passion and enthusiasm I have for these patients.

Like any nurse, at the core of my motivation lies an unwavering passion for patient care. I had an innate desire to make a difference in the lives of those who are unwell, and I thrive on the opportunity to be a source of comfort, compassion, and support to patients and their families during challenging times. Being a nurse for 35 years, I have had the opportunity to work in critical care areas, transplant units, open hearts, dialysis, and many more specialized units.

One major difference I noticed working in a medical surgical area is a feeling of satisfaction, a feeling of a job well done — especially when these patients get better and are discharged home. This doesn’t happen with ICU patients. In some cases, it takes forever or is even unsuccessful. I had the opportunity to receive the most prestigious DAISY Award for providing excellent care to my patients and families. I have been a recipient of the Nurse Excellence Award three times.

The fast-paced nature of a medical-surgical unit demands a level of dedication that can only be sustained through genuine passion. Patients often arrive with complex medical conditions, and nurses must be prepared to adapt and respond quickly. Medical-surgical nurses possess a unique enthusiasm for learning, especially when the field of medicine is ever evolving, with new treatments, procedures, and technologies. A true medical-surgical nurse embraces these advancements and welcomes the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills. I believe that learning is a continuous process, and I always look for it.

Medical-surgical nursing is not without its challenges. Patients with a wide range of medical conditions, some of which can be life threatening, demand constant vigilance and expertise. It is in the face of these challenges that the passion and enthusiasm of a medical-surgical nurse shine brightest. For me, each challenge is an opportunity. Being a medical-surgical nurse, I clearly understand the importance of teamwork in delivering high-quality care, passion for collaboration, and the camaraderie among my colleagues are fundamental to the enthusiasm for the profession.

In conclusion, medical-surgical nursing is a profession that attracts individuals with an unshakable passion for patient care and an unwavering enthusiasm for lifelong learning. The challenges and complexities of this field serve as opportunities for growth and making a meaningful difference in the lives of patients. The dedication and commitment of medical-surgical nurses are rooted in their genuine love for nursing and the desire to provide compassionate, high-quality care. It is this passion and enthusiasm that drives me to excel in my roles and continue to make a profound impact on the world of healthcare. —Valsamma Abraham, RN, MSN/ED, MTh, CMSRN, Assistant Nurse Manager, Broward Health Medical Center

Keep the celebrations going by checking out all essay contest contributions below!

Of all the areas of the nursing profession, why did you choose to pursue medical-surgical nursing?

Working in a medical-surgical unit is challenging. This helps me stay on my feet, apply evidence-based knowledge and skills I have learned and equipped with altruistic attitude, and constantly deal with various patients and families who are sick. It's a fulfilling role and vocation to see my patients transition from being unwell to being back to their optimum level of health. I also can feel more of being God's extension of healing hands as I take care of my medical-surgical patients. I learn new things every day, and there's never a dull moment in our unit. Being a medical-surgical nurse brings me to a lot of opportunities and helps me grow personally and professionally. —Maricione B. Corpuz, RN, BSN, MAN, CMSRN, Registered Nurse, St. Joseph Hospital and Medical Center

From my first nursing class, I was 100% sure I wanted to be a medical-surgical nurse. There was so much about that specific field of nursing that appealed to me. The opportunity to care for patients and their families as a whole was a rewarding goal to look forward to. Medical-surgical nursing doesn't only focus on a specific disease process or a specific injury; we look at the patient as a whole. The chief complaint, how it interferes with the patient chronic illness diagnosis, how it interferes with their daily life, loved ones, and themselves as a whole. Being in this field of nursing has given me the opportunity to provide whole patient health care. If I could choose to restart my career again, I'll choose to be a medical-surgical nurse a thousand times. —Olanike Towobola, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CMSRN, Clinical Development Specialist, Samaritan Health Services

I love medical-surgical nursing and have been a nurse since 1974, first as an LPN, then as an RN since 1994. I have done a variety of nursing, but I always come back to medical-surgical nursing. The reason is simple: I love it! I love that I have different patients, different diagnoses, and different situations to learn from each and every day. I love the patients! Talking to them, learning about them, and, in many cases, the veterans have brought history to life for me. I have shared sorrow and joy with patients and families. I have been privileged to call myself a medical-surgical nurse, and I still believe it is the best of all the specialties! —Wendy Rohrbach, Evangelical Community Hospital

What does medical-surgical nursing mean to you?

Medical-surgical nursing is the best nursing can get! I love being a medical-surgical nurse because there are so many different areas you can work in and spread joy to sick or injured patients and their families — from the first to the last day of life.

When I was an entry-level bedside nurse, I once took care of a patient who was very ill. He was pending surgery to amputate his foot. When I entered the room, it felt like something was wrong. I spoke to him, and he was alert and oriented times four and was in good spirits. I did my focused assessment, and while listening to his bowel sounds, I knew something was wrong. I called the physician, who told me to drop an NG tube. I explained the procedure to the patient and apologized because I knew it was a very uncomfortable procedure. He said, "I will be all right because I know my angels are standing by..." While I thought he was talking about us, he did pass away peacefully within the next hour. This is why I am a medical-surgical nurse — helping patients achieve their maximum state of health or peace when transitioning is what nursing is all about. —Angela Simmons, Ph.D., RN, NEA-BC, Commandant, Uniformed Services University Grad School of Nursing

Medical-surgical nursing means a lot to me. This is the area I have been in since I became a nurse. There were a lot of times that other units like ICU or stepdown tried to recruit me, but I just couldn’t leave medical-surgical. I want to interact with my patients. I want to talk to them. For me, if you are good at medical-surgical, you will be good at all areas you go to. If the whole world of nursing is represented by a mansion that contains different rooms of specialization like intensive care, OR nursing, stepdown, rehab, long-term care, neurology, and many more, I strongly believe that medical-surgical nursing is the doorstep and the whole first floor. This means that you can still enter the mansion through the windows in the upper floors, but you will definitely have a hard time doing it. But if you enter the door and master the first floor, you can easily transition to the upper floors, or you can stay on the first floor and master it. In this case, you don’t even need to go to the upper floors, because you will have all you need on the first floor. For me, medical-surgical nursing is the mother of all specializations. You cannot be an ICU nurse without having your principles of medical-surgical nursing, but you can be a medical-surgical nurse without having ICU experience. This goes with other specialty areas. Medical-surgical nursing is where you learn and hone the fundamentals of being a nurse. —Jann Malone Murrell, BSN, RN, CMSRN, CURN, Charge Nurse, Roper Saint Francis Healthcare

Making Things Happen

When I became a nurse, I was told that if you can do a year in medical-surgical nursing, you can do anything. I had to try it. Now in my fourth year as a medical-surgical nurse, I can tell you truer words have never been spoken. In medical-surgical nursing, we see the bigger picture. Connecting with our patients and our colleagues is the heart of what we do.

I remember taking care of a patient who had been in the hospital for several days. I went into the room to introduce myself and ask him what his goal for the day would be. To my surprise, he said, “Today the goal is to go home. I have tickets to see Billy Joel with my wife in Madison Square Garden tomorrow.” I smiled and told him that I would see what we could do. I honestly did not know if it was possible.

To get the patient home that day, we worked as part of a team to do a number of things. He needed imaging done; he needed equipment delivered; and he needed to know how to take care of himself and his condition at home. Toward the end of the day, as I was printing the discharge paperwork, the patient was beaming. He was going to see rock icon Billy Joel with his wife, who I call the “Uptown Girl.”

While special to me, I would not say that my story is unique. Medical-surgical nurses are making a difference in the lives of our patients and their families each and every day. We care, we collaborate, and we make things happen. As we celebrate medical-surgical nursing, I celebrate the passion that brings us to this specialty. I am reminded of this passion by my own journey, where I discovered that medical-surgical nursing is a great place to start and a great place to stay. —Mark Lee, MS, BSN, RN-BC, Nurse Scholar, Emory Healthcare

I am a registered nurse. It’s not what I do; it’s who I am. I have worked every hour of the day, every day of the year. I don’t get summers off like teachers; I don’t get to leave at 5 p.m. like office workers. Hospitals don’t close in snowstorms or hurricanes — we stay until our relief appears, whether 10, 16, or 24 hours after we arrive. That’s what we sign up for — the privilege of treating our patients.

I cared for a veteran who attended the American Legion convention in Philadelphia a week before he was admitted with pneumonia. Microbiology could not identify the organism that grew from culture. We were frightened. Stories of veterans mysteriously dying after they got home filled the news. We drew straws to decide who would care for him because we had no universal precautions. That disease without a name is now known as Legionnaire’s Disease, and antibiotics kill the Legionella bacillus.

Seven years later, I cared for a young man with disfiguring skin lesions admitted with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. AIDS had been defined by the CDC the year before. The CDC issued the first recommendation for caregivers to wear gowns and gloves. We were to label blood specimens and soiled linens “AIDS Precautions.” This time, managers asked for volunteers to care for these vulnerable patients. AIDS made us think about protecting ourselves from infection more seriously than ever.

Eleven years ago, and a century later, I contracted staph pneumonia that would not clear. I was on four antibiotics, sick, not working, and scared. A year later, I was diagnosed with primary immune deficiency. While I was relieved to have an explanation, my heart broke when I realized I could no longer risk clinical practice. Worse yet, as I isolated at home during the first year of the pandemic, my nursing brothers and sisters were experiencing the fear of infection I knew the previous century and thought was behind us as a profession.

I have pressed my nose against the glass that encases the innermost fears and dreams in my patients’ souls. When that glass shatters, I’ve carefully picked up the pieces, one by one, and helped them rebuild that protective shell. I try not to cut myself, but I have, and sometimes I’ve bled for days. Of course, you don’t hear about those moments in a patient’s life. You hear about the “courageous surgeon” who operated. Patients don’t hesitate to wear that badge of honor. You’ll never hear about the nurse with the patient at three in the morning when his world fell apart. As a nurse, I’ve been privileged to be there when my patient is unprotected, naked, and vulnerable. What happens during those times is between the patients and their nurses. It is recalled in a silent, knowing glance, with the assurance that those secrets are forever held within the glass that encases the innermost fears, dreams, and knowledge in a nurse’s soul. And that’s what medical-surgical nursing means to me. —Patricia Carroll, RN, NPD-BC, RRT, MS, Self-Employed

Thank you to all who participated in the first annual Med-Surg Nurses Week essay contest! Visit the AMSN website to find out how you can continue celebrating #MSNW23.