Surgical Nurses

Surgical Nurses

Surgical patients, who have undergone minor or major surgical procedures, receive care on separate wards from medical patients in the UK and Australia.

Nursing practices on surgical wards vary from those on medical wards.

Surgical nurses may specialize in various types of surgery, including:

  • General surgery (e.g., appendicectomy, gallbladder removal)
  • Vascular surgery (e.g., varicose vein surgery, aortic aneurysm repair)
  • Colo-rectal surgery (e.g., stoma formation)
  • Surgical Oncology (e.g., breast surgery, tumor resections)
  • Orthopedic surgery (e.g., knee or hip replacements, fracture repair)
  • Urological surgery (e.g., prostate surgery)
  • Day surgery (or ambulatory surgery, where patients are discharged within 24 hours)

The workload of surgical nurses typically involves caring for around six patients, depending on the specific nature of the surgical ward. Intensive Care and High-Dependency units generally assign one to two nurses per patient.