Course Description
This annual online course is designed to build the confidence and skills of healthcare professionals who deliver medical-surgical care to patients and/or to prepare nurses for the certification exam.
This course runs once per year, from January to April (15 weeks total). There are 15 online modules that are to be completed independently. Agencies may choose an accelerated 10-week option. If you are an agency and interested in becoming a co-sponsor/coordinator, click here. Upon completion of the course, participants will receive 46.5 CEs.
Target Audience
Experienced nurses in all care settings interested in a comprehensive medical-surgical review and/or in preparing for certification or re-certification in medical-surgical nursing.
“This class has helped to remind me that learning is a lifelong commitment with nursing. I took this class not only for the certification but to see if furthering my education was something that I was still interested in doing. I have recently started inquiring about pursuing my DNP. This class has helped to reinforce my desire to continue to improve myself and my knowledge.”
Learning Objectives
After completing this course, participants will be better able to:
- Relate the etiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, nursing process, and patient education of common medical-surgical diagnoses to patient care.
- Apply evidence-based approaches to nursing assessment and interventions.
- Utilize strategies that enhance patient safety.
- Achieve personal goals with regard to national certification in medical-surgical nursing and/or enhancing medical-surgical nursing practice.
- Describe at least two situations in which course content was applied to nursing practice.
Course Format
Each week, one or two important medical-surgical topics are featured. Instruction is presented by a variety of expert clinicians and covers clinical updates and comprehensive case studies. All coursework can be completed online at any time, as students have 24/7 access to the material during the course. Approximately 2.5-4 hours of study per week are required, including video lecture(s), a practice test, and an evaluation. Students also complete 2 clinical examples to reflect on how the course is influencing their practice. To earn contact hours, students are expected to complete the coursework every week. Additionally, participants will have access to bonus material to help prepare them for the certification exam.
For those who are participating with a co-sponsoring agency, additional in-person meetings may be scheduled and required at the discretion of that organization. UWCNE fosters mentoring relationships between medical-surgical nurse experts and participating healthcare providers and develops a peer learning and support network.
“Being able to watch the lectures on my schedule was very nice and integral to my ability to take this class! Having a mentor to turn to if needed was very reassuring as an adult re-entry student. This class has been so important to me and my care of the patient at the bedside.”
Why Pursue Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification?
National certification is a mechanism for protecting the public by clearly identifying nurses and agencies committed to the highest standards of professional preparation, patient care, and patient safety.
Nurses who have completed this course and taken a certification exam are very successful in attaining certification (97% pass rate). Please refer to the ANCC or AMSN websites for specific exam eligibility requirements.
Planning Committee
- Nancy Colobong Smith, MN, ARNP, ANP-BC, CNM – Course Co-Director
- Colleen Karvonen, MN, RN, CMSRN, CWON – Course Co-Director
- AJ Hernandez, BSN, CCRN, SCRN
- Karen Paulsen, MSN, ARNP-CNS, ACNS-BC, NPD-BC, PMGT-BC, CMSRN
- Ade Chu, PhD, MEd, RN – UW CNE, Associate Director
Please contact medsurg@uw.edu.