INTRODUCTION TO

SURGICAL nursing

By; Nini A. (BSC,MSC)

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 Learning objectives

At the end of this session students will be able to

Define surgical Nursing

Differentiate surgical nursing from other

specialties of nursing
Discuss the global history of surgical nursing

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 Definitions
Surgical Nursing is a the nursing care of adult patients

whose conditions or disorders are treated surgically

It is one of many specialties in nursing, yet its scope is
much broader.

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• Surgical manual and operative procedures for
correction of deformities and defects, repair of injuries,
and diagnosis and cure certain diseases with surgical
intervention.
• Nursing is the diagnosis and treatment of human
responses to health and illness.

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 The history of surgical nursing
• Surgical nursing, is a specialty of nursing that
requires a specific set of skills.
• The job requires that the nurses possess
strong analytical, technical, administrative and
organizational skills in addition to the
“people” skills normally associated with the
nursing profession.

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 Cont..
• In the late 1800s hospitals consisted of three
basic units: medical, surgical and obstetrical.
• The training of nurses in each of these areas
involved preparing them to perform in each of
these areas, and each was considered to be a
separate entity.

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 Cont..
• By the 1930s the approach to nurses had
changed, and there was no distinct separation
between medical and surgical nursing.
• The National League of Nursing Education
began to implement its “Combined Course”
guide in 1937 as part of the nurse training
curriculum

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 Cont..
• By the 1960s, the pendulum had swung back to
treating surgical nursing as a distinct specialty.
• However, the training of surgical nurses still
included elements of medical nursing.
• The scope of the surgical nurse’s job now began
to include the gathering of data, making
diagnoses and involvement in the development
of treatment and care plans.

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 Cont..
• The medical-surgical nursing profession began
to further distinguish itself as a distinct entity in
1991 with the founding of the Academy of
Medical-Surgical Nurses.
• In 1996, the organization published its own set
of standards.
• In part, these guidelines indicated that surgical
nurses must now incorporate research into
their job functions.
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 Cont..
• Today, surgical nursing continues its evolution
as a specialty and is the largest group of
practicing professionals, according to the
Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses.
• They practice in a variety of settings, including
hospitals, urgent care facilities, home health
care, skilled nursing care facilities and
universities.

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 Thank you!

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