From inpatient to outpatient setting

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Oncology/Hematology, Infusion, clinical.

I've been working inpatient hem/onc for about 2 years. I've worked both day and night shift, currently nights. Over the past few months I've noticed a trend in our assignments regarding higher acuity, less staff, lower morale(in ALL departments), and an overall unsafe/stressful environment. I've been offered an 8-5 5 day/week job at a new center that has an outpatient chemo suite. I will be working with the same doctors whose patients I care for in the hospital. I am torn between this and acute care. My decision has nothing to do with the differing pay. I am mostly concerned that I will find it boring or lacking in excitement. Any insight from those who have worked outpatient would be so very helpful!

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I'm in the same boat. I interviewed this week for an office job doing telehealth. M-F 8-5. I currently work on a busy med-tele unit. We're experiencing the same thing, higher acuity assignments, less staff, more demands documentation wise, etc. My unit is definitely not boring, but I feel like any day I'm gonna make a mistake. I'm looking forward to a change. Just think, you'll actually get to take a lunch break AND go to the bathroom! Think of the relationships you'll make with your patients.

Good luck with your decision!

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele/Onc.

I switched 6 months ago and haven't looked back. It's never boring. I know more about chemotherapy, radiation and blood disorders now than I ever did on the heme/onc floor. We see reactions, people coming in who really should have gone to the ER. We do between 40-50 treatments a day with another 30-50 injections a day. We also have a ct scanner, and a nurse works in there, plus we have 2 nurses in phone triage daily. We also have three nurses dedicated to research.

Plus I love the patients. You really get to know them much more than in the hospital.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I switched 6 months ago and haven't looked back. It's never boring. I know more about chemotherapy, radiation and blood disorders now than I ever did on the heme/onc floor. We see reactions, people coming in who really should have gone to the ER. We do between 40-50 treatments a day with another 30-50 injections a day. We also have a ct scanner, and a nurse works in there, plus we have 2 nurses in phone triage daily. We also have three nurses dedicated to research.

Plus I love the patients. You really get to know them much more than in the hospital.

I'd love to know what your staffing ratio is.

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Specializes in Oncology/Hematology, Infusion, clinical.

Thanks so much for the replies. I took the job...I'm definitely excited about the thought of eating lunch during a shift--and getting to know my patients during the less stressful times in the disease process (rather than when they've been admitted for febrile neutropenia or svc syndrome)

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele/Onc.
I'd love to know what your staffing ratio is.

We usually have one nurse on injections and 7-8 on the floor, 1-2 inTriage. When I'm doing treatments I can have anywhere from 6 -10 txs a day. The other day I had two patients all morning, one first time and one who had port issues. Those two patients took my whole morning. But in the afternoon I had 4-5 short treatments. Rarely do I have more than 4 pts at one time.

The CT nurse never does Chemo. She isn't certified, but if she is out or on vacation, there are two of us who can float to do her job.

What is your ratio? We are very busy. Usually our mornings are pretty bad because the longer, more complicated treatments start then. We've had some problems with long wait times lately too, but it is getting better.

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