[KelleyAnn]

I am a student nurse and I was wondering how much experience you need to have (after graduating) in order to become involved in ambulatory care? Also, what exactly does a nurse do in this particular case? Thank you!

[eyelady2]

I work in ambulatory care as a director, but have also been a staff nurse there. I found my education in acute care helped me to be a good decision-maker in an environment which is often very fast-paced. Had I been a new graduate, it would have been difficult for me. I worked in critical-care, which I think is great experience for whatever your future holds.

[JeanthePHN]

If you can get one of these sought after jobs in ambulatory care as a new grad I would be very surprised. Dont count on it. Those jobs go to the politically connected wives, sisters, girlfriends who dont HAVE to work.

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[Aristida]

You really do need experience before working in an Ambulatory care setting. You must be a well rounded nurse in all phases of ambulatory nursing. ie: scrub, circulate, recovery, pre-op etc. It is very hard to get a position in this area unless you have paid your dues. I worked 16 years in the operating room taking call every other weekend and every third night before I landed a job in the ambulatory center.

[J. Mark]

I work in an Ambulatory Care setting in a small rural hospital. I accepted this position right out of nursing school and currently completed my third year of employment. I find this postion very rewarding in many ways, most importantly is the opportunity to educate our patients. It takes a special person to establish a relationship with a patient during a brief outpatient stay. But this bond is important for the patient to develop the trust in you and the care that you offer. Our unit also staffs and assists endoscopy cases, PACU and is responsible for back-up call after hours and on the week-ends. My co-workers are like family and I can think of nowwhere else I would rather work. Keep your chin up, if I can do it so can you.

[tleane]

I work in a busy surgical/procedure day-stay unit in a remote part of Australia. The unit I work in is located adjacent the Operating Room Department of a major teaching hospital, and we manage the patient pre- and post-operatively. The actual surgery is performed by the OT staff. I find that the skills we need most are a good all round general nursing knowledge and good clinical judgement. I try and keep a mix of staff working here too with other skills... eg. Gynaecology/midwifery skills, anaesthetic and recovery room skills, psychiatry skills/experience. As a day-stay unit, we see all sorts of issues arising, and the mix of staff helps us to respond to individual patient issues.
I am happy to talk further about my experiences here. Please e-mail me if interested.
Terry.

[nursingu2000]

I work in a Very busy One Day Surgery center attached to a Trauma1/teaching institution. We are very busy, and cross trained to do Pre-op,PACU, and step down recovery processes...You will benifit from ICU/ER experience, but we are certainly not an exclusive bunch of nurses....The nurses who find their way to our midst, love it, as compared to "floor nursing"...You have great teaching opportunities and that is what most of us went to school for...I absolutely LOVE working for CMC...I can't imagine working anywhere else...The possibilities are limitless, and the support outstanding....Believe it or not, I am simply a Staff Nurse, and they don't Pay me to say these things...I guess I have worked in enough understaffed units where appreciation wasn't given, that here seems like HEAVEN...
Don't give up...You can join us!!!! would love to hear comments at nursingu2000@aol.com
Susan