Are you really not a "real nurse" unless you work in acute care?

[tenderfootjoe]

I am an RN in a peds clinic, and it seems nurses who work in outpatient settings are not looked at as "real nurses" by their acute care RN counterparts. Is there a future in outpatient nursing?

Also, what are some ways I can "stay current" with my nursing skills as much as possible while working outpatient? I may want to work outpatient my whole career. However, I do want to stay up to date/marketable just in case I one day decide to move into the acute care arena.

[Wuzzie]

Wow! Just wow!

[Garden,RN, ASN, RN]

Hate to say this but your answer was condescending.

[RobtheORNurse]

Nursing has many specialties and sub specialties. You passed NCLEX so you are a "Real" nurse. Don't let a difference in skill sets make you feel less. If you want to keep up acute care skills, perhaps working part time for awhile is a good idea all the while keeping your current job.

[AutumnApple]

I have witnessed this too. A general rule of thumb applies here:

They are trying to convince themselves.

Whenever I hear a nurse trying to proclaim their specialty as the only real nursing, I apply this rule of thumb.

First job I ever had was at a hospital and some of the ICU nurses thought they were gods gift to Healthcare. Never mind that most of them were new grads who didn't even understand what good nursing care was yet. But, I took notice of the fact that the ones who embodied this holier than persona were inexperienced.

Many moons later, I ran into one of them as I was going home. She was not herself, seemed on the verge of tears.

Her problem: A patient was dying, she didn't know how to help or speak to the family. She felt responsible for the poor outcome.

In hindsight, I imagine part of her problem was that she was lacking in support. She had alienated too many and now had no one to go to when she didn't feel like a real nurse. Seemed to me, after that incident, her attitude changed.

Your co-workers will have something bring them back to reality like she did. Just let it happen naturally.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

To whom are you responding?

Hate to say this but your answer was condescending.