Medical Surgical Nursing:

Medical Surgical Nursing refers to the  nursing care of adults who have  an actual or potential disorder of physiological functi~n.  The practice of Medical Surgical Nursing has  traditiollally been  synonymous wit11 acute care hospital nursing. Indeed,  in  the past  virtually all Medical Surgical Nurses worked  for hospitals. The purpose of Medical Surgical Nursing,  sometimes called adult nursing,  is  to promote health and prevent illness in people fioin  18 to over  100 years of age. Nurse who practice Medical Surgical Nursing are generalists who must have a broad knowledge base to meet the needs of clients in  a variety of health care settings. Rapid advances  in  technology, exponential  increases in  knowledge,  and dramatic changes  in  the health care delivery system require that Medical Surgical Nurses use  expert critical  thinking skills to provide complex, holistic client care. 

Although most nurses  are still employed in acute care settings, no trend  in Medical Surgical Nursing practice is more pervasive than the reality of  constant change. The health care industry around the globe has  been  and will  continue to undergo rapid  and profound change. This pattern will not  slow or halt and Medical Surgical Nursing practice must develop the ability  to  respond more quickly and effectively to these rapid changes.