What are Credentials for Medical Surgical Certification?

If you would like to work as a medical surgical nurse, you will be offering nursing services to patients in acute hospital units. You will help individuals with a variety of surgical conditions and medical disorders. Once you gain experience in the field, you will be able to obtain a certificate in a specialized area.

Types

Within the U.S., there are two organizations that offer certification to medical surgical nurses, the ANCC, or American Nurses Credentialing Center and the Academy of Medical Surgical Nursing, which is offered through MSNCB, or Medical Surgical Nursing Certification Board.



Requirements

In this nursing field, you will be required to hold an active registered nurse license and work in the field for at least 2 years. Overall, you should have a minimum of 2,000 hours of experience over a three year period.

Testing

Exams are offered by the ANCC and MSNCB; both are quite rigorous and must be passed in order to get a certificate in medical surgical nursing.

Considerations

Through both organizations, it is required that medical surgical nurses periodically re-certify. They will have to obtain continuing experience within a specialty (about 1,000 hours over a five year period). The ANCC makes it mandatory for the nurses to continue nursing education over five year, about 150 hours worth. Those that want to be recertified as CMSRNs will have to acquire 90 contact hours within a five year period.