What is the definition of medical surgical nursing or simply medical surgical?

Medical Surgical nursing is a combination of surgical cases (gallbladder removal, hernia repair, bowel resection etc) with medical cases (such as pneumonia, congestive heart failure, hypertension, diabetes). They are normally on a unit. We try to keep the surgical cases together (such as a person with gallbladder removal with a person with a hernia repair in the same room), and the medical cases together. You will occasionally get isolation patients (people with C-Diff, MRSA, VRE or drainage of some sort), which will give you some experience with that since its a different proceedure to care for them (gowns, gloves, mask in some cases and sanitation is a biggie in isolation rooms). My floor that I work on is kind of a free for all.... we were the Orthopedic unit, until they closed our OB/GYNE department. Now we do orthopedics, gyne surgery, medical, surgical. Its a busy place now, more busy than it ever has been. But its great experience. The nursing students we get on my unit love it cuz its never the same thing 2 days in a row.
I feel that med/surg is a great place to start your nursing career, get some experience under your wings, then go to the specialty units like ICU. That way you're better prepared.

I worked on a Med/surg floor for years! It is a floor where the patients are "general" surgeries and "general" illnesses. Med surge is great because you get to see a whole variable of patients from plain surgeries such as Gall Bladder removal to Krohn/Crohn's Disease, etc. You will get some isolation patients and experience in working in isolation rooms, and a lot of procedures to be done, such as dressing changes, caths, etc.