Why Med-Surg Is the Best Place to Start Your Nursing Career
If you’re a new graduate nurse, you’ve probably heard the advice: “Start in Med-Surg.” And while you may already have your eye on a specialty like the ER, ICU, or Labor & Delivery, there’s a reason so many experienced nurses will tell you that Med-Surg is where great nurses are made.
At Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH), our medical-surgical teams are the heartbeat of our hospital — and the ideal place to grow your nursing career.
The Ultimate Learning Ground for New Nurses
Med-Surg is often called the “foundation of nursing” because it’s where you learn everything that will shape you into a confident, capable nurse. You’ll care for a wide range of patients and diagnoses, sharpening your time management and prioritization skills while providing compassionate, quality care.
“Med-Surg is a very good starting point for new nurses to learn and experience different things,” said Ana Manahan, RN, a nurse in our medical-surgical Diabetes Medical Care Unit. Ana has been at TMH for one year, but she’s been in nursing for 12 years total. “I still feel like I’m learning a lot. In Med-Surg units, you get exposure to all different kinds of cases, procedures, surgeries—everything.”
Her teammates agree: Med-Surg exposes you to a lot. You’ll build a strong clinical foundation and discover what areas of nursing truly excite you. Some nurses begin here planning to move into a specialty later, but find themselves falling in love with the fast pace, team dynamics and patient variety that define Med-Surg.
“It’s a great foundation. It’s busy, but you see everything, and you’ll be able to go anywhere,” Amy Reed, RN, said. “I loved this unit so much that I wanted to stay right here. I’ve been on this unit for 17 years.”
Discover the Specialty That Fits You Best
At TMH, our Med-Surg family includes eight unique units — each with its own personality and clinical focus:
• Cardiac Neurology Unit (2A) – A great place to build quick assessment skills with a mix of cardiac and neuro patients. You’ll learn fast and see a little bit of everything.
• Post-Operative Care Unit (3A/C) – Here, you’ll gain hands-on experience with post-op and trauma patients—perfect for learning drains, drips, wound care and orthopedic surgical recovery.
• Cardiac Progressive Care Unit (3N) – A strong introduction to cardiac nursing. You’ll care for post–heart catheterization and post-CABG (coronary artery bypass grafting) patients and grow confident with telemetry.
• Neurology & Neurosurgery Unit (4N) – An ideal place to learn neuro if you’re interested in progressing into a Critical Care or Emergency setting. You’ll work with post-stroke and post-neurosurgery patients and learn the NIH Stroke Scale.
• Internal Medicine Unit (5A) – A true “learn it all” unit with a specialized focus on pulmonary patients. You’ll see a wide range of conditions and build the foundation every great nurse needs.
• Diabetes Medical Care Unit (5B) – Perfect if you’re interested in endocrine. You’ll help patients manage diabetes and become confident with glucose and insulin care.
• Orthopedic Trauma Center Unit (6A) – Great for learning post-surgical ortho and trauma care. Expect fast-paced teamwork, mobility-focused care and patients who progress quickly.
• Angie Deeb Cancer Unit (7A) – Ideal for nurses who want to care for patients undergoing cancer treatment or hematology management. You’ll build specialized skills and can earn your chemo certification.
This structure gives you the best of both worlds — the chance to experience a wide range of patient populations, while still developing deeper knowledge and competencies in a specific area of care.
“Our eight sub-specialties within Med-Surg are the perfect place to foster essential skills like critical thinking and communicating with providers while discovering where your passion lies,” explained Josh Epps, RN, Director of Medical-Surgical Units. “From there, we have pipelines throughout the organization to help nurses get into specialty areas — whether you’re interested in an ICU, cath or neuro lab, emergency, or caring for mothers and babies.”
As a new nurse, working Med-Surg can help build up your comfort and confidence. When you’re ready to take the next step in your career, TMH is ready to help you get there.
Teamwork is Key on Med-Surg
There’s no sugarcoating it: Med-Surg can be busy and challenging. But it’s the best kind of challenge.
With a 5:1 patient ratio in Med-Surg compared to 2:1 in ICUs, you will be juggling more patients, but you’ll grow faster than you ever thought possible. At TMH, you’ll never face it alone. Our Med-Surg nurse managers, educators and charge nurses are all outstanding resources who create a support system for their teams.
“A Med-Surg nurse can do all things,” said Berenice Mercer, Nurse Manager of the Diabetes Medical Care Unit. “They make it work through teamwork. I attribute the success on my team to the teamwork that I instill in them.”
Berenice has been a nurse at TMH for 32 years and has served as Nurse Manager of her unit for 27 of those years.
Berenice is passionate about work-life balance and her team’s well-being. “I want my nurses to feel supported both on and off the floor—with schedules that work for you, mandatory lunch breaks and patient-free time to recharge. And we never forget to have fun together—we like to do team challenges and take every opportunity to build camaraderie.”
The Backbone of the Hospital
Med-Surg nurses are the backbone of TMH. They touch nearly every patient who comes through our doors and play a vital role in the care of our community.
“It’s hard work, but we care deeply about our patients,” says Laura Lopez, who started as a new nurse in 2020 and is now 5B’s Clinical Education Coordinator. “I really enjoy exercising my critical thinking in a fast-paced environment. Here, we often catch patients’ conditions early and prevent them from getting worse,” she explained. “You gain a strong ability to recognize deteriorating patient conditions, and you go home every day knowing you made a difference.”
If you’re a new nurse looking for a place to grow, learn and be part of something bigger, Med-Surg is it. You’ll gain confidence, discover your strengths and build the foundation for an incredibly impactful, rewarding career.
Ready to Start Your Journey?
Join the extraordinary nurses who are making a difference every day in our Med-Surg units. Explore opportunities to begin your nursing career at Careers.TMH.ORG/nursing.