Medical Surgical Nursing - One Of The Top 10 Most Rewarding Careers?

When it comes to the Top 10 rewarding careers, nursing should most certainly make that list. With better than average pay and tons of intangible rewards that comes from helping people, there are few other professions considered as noble as this one. Many who choose to enter the field do so with their eyes set on a medical surgical nursing career to really capitalize on the benefits the profession has to offer.

Medical surgical nursing is a bit more specialized than many other areas in the profession. These nurses tend to require a little more training, whether in school, on-the-job or both. Those who choose to go this route should make sure they have a few necessary characteristics, however. These include:

* Endurance. Medical surgical nursing can be very demanding, especially when things happen to go wrong in the operating room. This means a two-hour operation could turn into a four-hour ordeal. A medical surgical nurse will be expected to endure the entire time, performing at the peak of his or her ability.

* Stress handling ability. While not all operations create high-stress situations, any could turn that way on a time. With this in mind, those who want to enter medical surgical nursing will need to be certain they can handle the pressures that might come along with the job. There's no do-overs in the operating room.

* Willingness to take orders. While all nurses must be able to take and carry out orders, medical surgical nursing can present more face-to-face encounters with doctors than other areas of hospital work. Those who don't mind constant contact with doctors thrive in this area.

* Ability to stomach blood. All areas of nursing come along with some sights, sounds and smells that are not very pleasant, but medical surgical nursing professionals tend to see it all - all the time. If a nurse is in the slightest bit queasy, this might not be the specialty for them.

* Willingness to take extra classes. Since medical surgical nursing is a specialty, there might be extra certifications involved, and extra course work, depending on the state in question. Since surgery techniques are always being improved, continuing education is a must for those entering medical surgical nursing.

Medical surgical nursing can be a fantastic specialty for those who like to really get in the center of the action in helping patients. The specialty is not for everyone, however, and should be carefully weighed before it's pursued.