In the United States, medical-surgical (med-Surg) nursing is the largest and most popular specialty among nursing practices. This practice focuses on providing care for adults who have undergone a surgical procedure or process. So, if you are one of those nursing students who are interested in how to pass Med Surg in nursing school, read on.
Medical-Surgical Nursing
Med-Surg nursing is offered in two semesters depending on the curriculum or program of your nursing school. It is a challenging course that focuses on body systems, signs and symptoms of a disease, treatments, and nursing interventions. Nursing school is already a demanding choice, to begin with, and with Med-Surg, it even becomes more challenging to study.
In nursing school, med-surg classes give students a solid foundation of the anatomy and physiology of the human body. It makes you delve into analyzing the pathophysiology of a disease, signs, symptoms, manifestations, nursing interventions, and medical management processes.
Studying normal lab values is also a part of this study. Pathophysiology is an integral part of nursing and a good background in this will help you in acquiring future certifications.
Med-Surg classes will require nursing students to be able to learn pharmacology and pathophysiology concepts. This class aims for students to learn and develop their critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is a crucial factor when taking NCLEX and other specialty examinations after graduating from nursing school.
How Difficult is Medical-Surgical Nursing?
A Med-Surg class caters to studying a wide variety of patient care settings, making it challenging to study. The course is challenging as it requires a lot of memorizing and taking down notes. Also, the application of critical care concepts is crucial too. To be successful in Med-Surg, a student should study and read more as well as apply the concepts during class and actual practice.
We are sure that you already have some tips on surviving other challenging classes in school. To add some to these, here are more survival tips for studying Med-Surg:
These tips will also be helpful when getting the med-Surg certification after your initial R.N. Licensure. It will also help create a healthy review habit that will give you a better success rate.
Medical-Surgical Certifications in the United States
There are two certification tests that a nurse may take to specialize in medical-surgical nursing in the United States. Let us take a quick look at both certifications to help you know which certification best fits your needs.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Medical-Surgical exam is a test that will assess your competency and proficiency in med-Surg nursing. Passing the test will give you a Registered Nurse – Board Certified (RN-BC) credential.
Another certification that you may choose to pursue is the CMSRN or Certified Medical-Surgical Nurse test. This examination validates your proficiency in medical-surgical nursing and is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC).
Obtaining these Medical-Surgical certifications will show your competency and proficiency in this field. Both of these credentials are valid for five years and will give a nurse a better opportunity for career growth.
Who is Eligible for Taking these Examinations?
To take the MSNBC, you must have a current and active R.N. licence in the United States or one of its territories. You will also need two years of experience as an R.N. in a medical-surgical clinical setting during the previous five years. Additionally, you need to have 2000 hours of clinical nursing experience.
For the ANCC test, aside from being a current holder of an active R.N. license, you will also need experience as a full-time nurse and two thousand (2000) hours of clinical experience in medical-surgical nursing for the past three years.
How to Register for these Examinations?
To apply, a nurse must submit an application through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for the RN-BC or Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board (MSNCB)'s website for the CMSRN test and pay the required fees.
For ANCC's exam:
For MSNCB's exam:
Approved applicants will be notified by email and are given 90 days to schedule their examination date at a nearby Prometric testing center of your choice.
Composition of ANCC Medical-surgical Nursing Certification (RN-BC) Exam
The computer-based test is completed in 3.5 hours and consists of 175 questions (25 of these are unscored). The domains covered are:
Composition of MSNBC Medical-surgical Nursing Certification (CMSRN) Exam
The computer-based examination takes three-hour and a half and consists of 150 questions, of which 25 items are not scored. The questions are designed to assess competency and knowledge in medical-surgical nursing. It is also intended to measure how you will apply these theories in real-life situations.
The examination covers three domains:
1. Assessment and Diagnosis
It composes 42% of the exam, which comprises 52 questions. Domain included in this section are:
2. Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation
It composes 46% of the exam and comprises 58 questions. Skills measured in this area are:
You should review key topics that include patient education and safety, alternative medicines, diversional activities, and health and wellness promotion for recovering a patient.
3. Professional Role
This section completes the remaining 12% of the exam and is comprised of 15 questions about communication with the patient, family, and community. It will assess knowledge in healthcare ethics and evidence-based practice.
Examination Scoring
ANCC's Med-Surg test is scored on a scale of 100 to 500 and the minimum score to pass is 350 or 81%. After finishing the examination, you will already receive the unofficial results. If you successfully pass, you will be able to use the RN-BC credential immediately.
On the other hand, a standard score of 95 or 71% correct is needed to pass the CMSRN exam.
Official scores are released after a month and will be received through U.S. mail. If you did not pass, you might re-apply for the exam after 60 days. Note that you are only allowed three attempts per year. Make sure to do your best to prepare and review for the test.
How to Prepare and Pass the Med-Surg Examinations
Nurse professionals value their careers and look forward to furthering them through the Medical-surgical board certification. By passing Med-Surg examinations, you will have greater career opportunities.
With these credentials, you will be able to advance your career, have greater responsibilities and experience, and achieve better pay. At the same time, it also increases your responsibility and experience in the field.
There are many resources that you can use to study for the exam that will increase your chances of passing Med-Surg. A study material could be flashcards, study guides, mock tests. Online, there are also various review courses that you may choose to enroll.
You can also watch videos that will help you understand the pathophysiology of a certain disease or its process. Videos are effective visual aids to help you retain information. And, with various videos and other study materials online, you will surely be able to find what you are looking for.
Also, it would be best if you had at least two to three months to prepare for these tests as these are high-stake exams that require time and attention.
Here are some ways to boost your chances and help you succeed in passing the exam:
1. Use A Study Guide
A study guide is a great way for a student to focus on the domains of key areas on the exam. Look for a study guide that contains all the vital information that you need to know. Note that pathophysiology and pharmacology are two important areas to review.
2. Do Not Cram
Cramming will tire your brain and will reduce your ability to absorb essential concepts. Keep important notes that contain key points to remember. Devote a portion of your time daily to study.
3. Study at a Steady Pace
Try to study one question at a time and focus only on getting the answer.
4. Take one or two mock tests when studying for the exams.
Doing this will let you know what area you need to improve.
5. Do not leave any questions unanswered.
If you are unsure or do not know the answer, you may skip the question at the moment. Make sure to go back to it afterward. Try to guess if you still don't know the answer and you are running out of time.
These tips will surely increase the probability of passing the Med-Surg exams. We hope that all the useful tips shared in this article will help you out in the future.
Conclusion
At present, Med-Surg Rns comprise 1/6 of the nursing workforce in the U.S., making med-Surg R.N.s the backbone of every healthcare institution. And with the rise in complications and problems related to surgery, the world surely needs more Med-Surg professionals.
If you can pass these exams, you will indeed have better job prospects and a higher salary. Not only these, but you will also experience personal growth and a sense of accomplishment.
Nurse professionals are a good example of patience as it takes at least two to four years of experience in Med-Surg nursing to qualify for these tests.
We hope that this guide has informed you better on what you need to know about getting certified. These certifications and recognitions will boost your morale in your chosen field. Thus, it would help if you found proven ways on how to pass Med Surg in nursing school.