Nurses Helping Nurses
allnurses Network: Central | Jobs | Books | Newsletter
allnurses: A Nursing Community for Nurses
Home General News Blogs Articles Students Region Specialty Degrees F.A.Q.
Log In | Register | Last 24 Hours
United Kingdom (UK) Nurses /

New job in Outpatients...



Did You Know?
allnurses is the largest community for nurses on the web. We now have over 388,142 members! Join today to network with other nurses, laugh, share, and much more.

Apr 11, 2007 03:27 PM

New job in Outpatients...

by TinaK

Hello everyone

I don't know if you remember but a couple months ago I had an interview for an outpatients/pre-assessment nurse job in a private hospital. WEll its now my second week working there ...the people are reallly nice and the hours are great and am seeing some new procedures i have not come across...i.e. minor dermatology procedures and gynae procedures, i will be soon put in for my ECG training and my cannulation and venepuncture..

I wanted some advice from other nurses who may work in outpatients..the only other job i had after being qualified was in A&E for just over 4 months, after which i left..i do not have any other staff nurse experience, i suppose what i am trying to ask about is the fact i am worried i will become rather de-skilled working in a clinic setting so soon after being qualified, i had to take this job because of the lack of nursing jobs available elsewhere, and the hours are so good for my home situation...so i couldnt afford to not take the job..i havent told some of my old nursing friends that my new job is in outpatients as i know a lot of them view it as 'not proper nursing' can anyone alleviate my fears and worries?

Tina

Share
Search Tags
None
Top

 
Advertisement
Sponsored Links
 
Reply
8 Comments
No. 1
from muffie
Old Apr 11, 2007, 03:47 PM

Default Re: New job in Outpatients...
you are still a nurse, darling
Top
 
No. 2
from sharrie
Old Apr 11, 2007, 03:54 PM

Default Re: New job in Outpatients...
Tina it sounds like you like your new job, there is quite a bit of snobbery in nursing I remember being told that ICU was not real nursing just machine watching. I have heard that theatre nurses are not really nursing because any monkey can pass instraments, nurse specialists and nurse practitioners are trying to be more like doctors.

At the end of the day there are many different fields of nursing each as valuable as the other. Don't worry about what your friends think just be happy in your work.

You may deskill in some areas but your skills in others will improve. It has been many years since I was a ward nurse and I wouldn't cope with nursing on a ward now, that doesn't make me any less of a nurse just using different nursing skills. I feel more of a nurse now than I did in ICU.
Top
 
No. 3
from Silverdragon102
Old Apr 12, 2007, 02:50 AM

Default Re: New job in Outpatients...
Tina

No matter which type of job in nursing you have you will gain skills and loose skills, enjoy your time and the job and look at learning new skills and enjoy your job. You may even find chance to look for work in the hospital on the wards when the time is right.
Top
 
No. 4
from RGN1
Old Apr 13, 2007, 09:51 AM

Default Re: New job in Outpatients...
Tina,

I worked OPD in a private hospital for 8 years & my CV looks all the better for it. As you already pointed out you're learning a shed load of new skills & assisting with various different procedures etc.

I'm on a ward now & had no trouble in getting a job back at bedside at all, they valued my OPD experience.

In my quest for a USA job my CV has been enough to get me an interview & job offer from everyone I've applied to! I just came back from holiday & my good old, OPD padded out CV was enough to land me a direct hire position at Tampa General Hospital.

So don't sweat on it - you may use some of your skills a lot less but you'll be adding soooooo many more!! Just enjoy yourself - oh & when all your ward mates are working all those bank holidays (inc Xmas) you'll be the one smiling!!
Top
 
No. 5
from TinaK
Old Apr 13, 2007, 03:16 PM

Nurse Re: New job in Outpatients...
Thanks for replying to all of you who replied to my post, the advice was reassuring and you all are right in that I should just relax a little and enjoy the job, the people there are all lovely, its not that big of a private hospital and its somewhere , where most of the staff know everyone so thats a nice feeling. My mentor is great and they have made me supernumary for 6 weeks, thats more than i got when i was newly qualified!! lol

Seeing as it is a small hospital, there is a 24 bedded ward upstairs and i have been told i will be allowed to go work on the ward when they are short staffed, i spent two days on the ward this week as an induction and it was nice so in that sense i suppose i will still be able to keep some ward skills up!

Tina k
Top
 
No. 6
from AMOEBA
Old Jan 30, 2008, 05:30 PM

Default Re: New job in Outpatients...
Hey there, I know this thread was written a while ago but I've been offered a job in a fracture clinic/orthopaedic out-patients so it was interesting reading all your replies. I hope you still enjoy working there if you're still there, it sounds like a dream job! And if anyone of your old college mates slate you for it its just cos they're jealous! Good luck x
Top
 
No. 7
from Belinda-wales
Old Jan 31, 2008, 11:54 AM

Default Re: New job in Outpatients...
Originally Posted by RGN1 View Post
Tina,

I worked OPD in a private hospital for 8 years & my CV looks all the better for it. As you already pointed out you're learning a shed load of new skills & assisting with various different procedures etc.

I'm on a ward now & had no trouble in getting a job back at bedside at all, they valued my OPD experience.

In my quest for a USA job my CV has been enough to get me an interview & job offer from everyone I've applied to! I just came back from holiday & my good old, OPD padded out CV was enough to land me a direct hire position at Tampa General Hospital.

So don't sweat on it - you may use some of your skills a lot less but you'll be adding soooooo many more!! Just enjoy yourself - oh & when all your ward mates are working all those bank holidays (inc Xmas) you'll be the one smiling!!
Dear RGN1- when I read this I got so excited for you I thought things had moved on for you then I saw the date and my heart goes out toyou and others inthe long hard wait which is moving to the states- I konw how horrible that waiting time is- my thoughts are with you.
Top
1 Reader Gave Kudos
 
No. 8
from RGN1
Old Jan 31, 2008, 12:23 PM

Default Re: New job in Outpatients...
Thanks Belinda! Yes I'm in the long, long queue! At this rate it'll be 2012 before I set foot in the USA!! That's assuming the hospital doesn't pull out!

Therefore, we made the decision to go to Canada & either wait it out there, or see how things pan out & even stay if we like it better. I have a job in Calgary & we should be there by the summer, if all goes well.
Top
 
Reply




Thread Tools


Who's Online
72 members
1,118 guests
1,190

Nursing News

6

California Imposes Stricter Rules Regarding Drug Abuse In...
19

Are older nurses being forced out of the profession?
3

An outlook in California?
8

Australian surgeons successfully separate conjoined twins
42

Disruptive behavior by doctors, nurses persists a year...
31

Woman sues after police tackle her in ER during premature...
5

Beyond The Last Lecture -For Randy & Jai Pausch nurses...
18

WHO: Give at-risk groups anti-flu drugs early
21

Nursing, medical schools should work together, experts say
6

Army nurse honored after 100th birthday


Nursing Articles

1

Society Needs Care Too
11

Why am I doing this, anyway?
2

Nurse Heal Thyself
9

My Papa, why I am the nurse I am today.
17

I made it through
11

An angel's gaze
14

A Sister Never Forgets
16

Ruby's Marbles
37

What Do Operating Room Nurses Do?
14

My Little Old Jedi
20

I love this job......
23

"I hear voices"
19

Preventing FRUTI (Foley Related Urinary Tract Infection) in...
24

Error and Attitude
10

It's Just a Shower


Does allnurses.com make you a better nurse?


Sponsored Links

Currently Reading This Page: 1 (0 members & 1 guests)

Interested in the hottest topics of the week? Subscribe to the Nurse-zine Newsletter.
Enter email address:

Available Topics (tags)


Search By Tag:

New To Site
Need Help
Quick Links

Copyright © 1996-2009, allnurses.com. All rights reserved.  allnurses.com, Inc.
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:52 AM.