Clinic nursing vs Hospital nursing

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Sep 27, 2011

for me, some things are worth more than money. some aren't. i will always take the choice that gives me more choices for what to do with my own time. if there's one thing you learn in nursing it's that life is too damn short and nobody ever died saying he wished he'd spent more time at work.

you get to decide what works for the two of you (and eventually three, four, five...)

Gratefulprn · Sep 27, 2011

I have to agree with the above poster...I've worked a M-F nursing job 3 times in my time as a nurse (22 yrs). Every time I ended up hating it..I found it boring and really did not like having 2 days/week off and no time during the week to run errands etc. and having to ask permission to schedule a doctors appt. The pay was also less. This is one reason I sit here w/a BSN and soon to have a M.S. and have no plans to work in management. Sitting meetings all day, weekends and holidays only off...not for me. That being said, I may feel differently if I had kids as I realize there are things that kids need that the 12 hour shifts/working weekends competes with. Also, my spouse works a 12 hour rotating schedule (non healthcare) so if my spouse worked M-F that also would influence me. Right now I am considering going back into the hospital setting as a PRN so I can have the flexibility to control, to a great extent, my schedule. I have 2 really good FT job offers other than this and while I am grateful for these, I just can't see returning to a M-F deal. My advice would be to try it, see how it works for YOU and your fiance, you can ALWAYS go back into the hospital setting.

Jenni811, RN · Sep 27, 2011

if there's one thing you learn in nursing it's that life is too damn short and nobody ever died saying he wished he'd spent more time at work.

very true

netglow, ASN, RN · Sep 27, 2011

Don't count on perfect hours. As you say it's not floor nursing. Sometimes you are there for quite some time (hours) after the last patient even if the docs are on schedule. Depends on clinic type? Depends on what all you are responsible for.

Ask:

1. patient load daily, it can be large and fast. You might not eat or pee in clinic either, just like floor.

2. does the place have established protocol for stuff?

3. your responsibilities (can be wide depending on specialty) not always a good thing if you have a few specialists that want you to do their job, the parts that they must do and you by scope can't. They may want you to do stuff so they can avoid the liability (don't ask me about that one, you don't want to have to live it if I tell you).

4. patient calls? Do you have a "down hour" to make them? This part will be very new to you, and you have to adjust your auto-frustration hyperdrive as soon as you get to work.

5. try to see if your desk folks have brains. If they don't, it's a million times harder to do your job. eg do they know not to just forward chest pain c/o's into your voicemail? (I kid you not).

Jenni811, RN · Sep 27, 2011

Chest pain to clinic voicemail?? eek.

yea i have no idea what clinic setting i'd like. I work in a cardiac/tele unit right now. So it might be best if i did something like cardiology clinic perhaps? I guess i'll make that decision when the point comes. I've only been there for a year, and i plan on staying through the new hospital set up. we will be hiring new staff, changing staff around, so i'd like to stick it out until the hospital can get things settled.

Halinja, BSN, RN · Sep 28, 2011

A lot of the clinics around here have their nurses full time by having them work 4 9's. That way you still get a day off for those pesky doctor's appts.

LaughingRN · Sep 28, 2011

I went from a large clinic to a hospital, and I have a school age child.

Well, the clinic job seemed more ideal regarding childcare and the ability to have family dinners with my husband and son, but it really turned out to be the more stressful job.

The job description was 5 days a week mon-fri 8-5 (typically) a half day sat thrown into the mix now and then.

The reality was...

Almost a 12 hour day one day a week (extended hours)

An early start/late day one day a week (didn't get home until 9)

And....probably staying up to an hour later than I should 4 days a week because of "running behind, the famous walk-in patients, last minute scheduled procedures.

In the end, I NEVER made it home for dinner, and if I did it was too late to cook and enjoy anything. I was tired almost everyday, the house was turning into a mess. My son lived in the before and after school program and was miserable.

I now work 12 hour shifts 3 times a week at the hospital. Our son is almost never in the before/after school program. I have 4 days a week to eat and see my family. My house is now clean, and I am not tired anymore.

plus I make more money :)

But that was just my experience..everyone is different

Jenni811, RN · Sep 28, 2011

I went from a large clinic to a hospital, and I have a school age child.
Well, the clinic job seemed more ideal regarding childcare and the ability to have family dinners with my husband and son, but it really turned out to be the more stressful job.
The job description was 5 days a week mon-fri 8-5 (typically) a half day sat thrown into the mix now and then.
The reality was...
Almost a 12 hour day one day a week (extended hours)
An early start/late day one day a week (didn't get home until 9)
And....probably staying up to an hour later than I should 4 days a week because of "running behind, the famous walk-in patients, last minute scheduled procedures.
In the end, I NEVER made it home for dinner, and if I did it was too late to cook and enjoy anything. I was tired almost everyday, the house was turning into a mess. My son lived in the before and after school program and was miserable.
I now work 12 hour shifts 3 times a week at the hospital. Our son is almost never in the before/after school program. I have 4 days a week to eat and see my family. My house is now clean, and I am not tired anymore.
plus I make more money :)
But that was just my experience..everyone is different

Eeesh, i would definitely have to look into this and speak to some nurses in the clinic.

The hours are miserable in the hospital. i HATE working 12's. Im not a morning person, so getting up anytime before 6 kills me.

one of my biggest issues, and if ANYONE here is from Wisconsin, you know what im talking about here. Is in the winter. In order for me to get to work i have to take the back roads.

With the amount of snow we get, the plows don't get out until AFTER it is done snowing. Sometimes they may plow a path to the main road but they come by once every 8 hours or so. So it needs to be timed with the snow plows and their 8 hour visits.

basically, its been a nightmare trying to make it to work on day shifts much less get home after night shifts. Multiple times i've had to get a hotel or stay at the hospital. I REFUSE to do that anymore and let work take over my life/prevent me from getting home with my family.

Stupid WI snow!!!!

LaughingRN · Sep 28, 2011

I hear you on the mornings:)

But just a thought...as I'm from a "snowy and cold miserable in the winter" state too.

You will be driving more days a week in horrible weather if you work 5 days.....

and if WI is anything like were I'm from, plows are unpredictable in bad weather

(please don't think I'm trying to talk you out of this, cause I'm not. Change made me happy and it very well could be the best thing you ever did!)

RN58186 · Sep 28, 2011

I worked 12 years full time days/nights on the inpatient renal unit, then moved to the transplant clinic where I have been for 9 years. My life is much saner in the clinic. I did miss the shift diff and weekend premiums at first but not now. I seldom have to stay late, but I do frequently take lunch at my desk. I am a case manager for about 200 patients, and all our doctors are transplant specialists and they really value our contribution to the team. Our clerical staff will not send an emergency phone call to voice mail, they will either come find us or find another nurse to take the call. I like sleeping when it is actually dark out, and as a diabetic blood sugars are much easier to control when I am not flipping shifts every week. I live in Western Canada (lots of snow) but we only usually have a few mornings each winter that are really nasty. Plus we get chinooks (they make winter bearable....) I get every 4th Friday off, and have a weekly doctor appt that I have never had to miss because of work. I miss the chaos of the inpatient, but I love what I do.

guest64485 · Sep 28, 2011

The main factor in clinic nursing that may make you stay late is the personality of the doctor you work for -- speaking with the nurses who work there is a great way to check that out. Some docs will double or triple book, or will add on any patient that wants to be seen same-day and thus can run 1-2 hours behind. Others take 20 minutes for each 10 minute appt and thus run behind too.

Salary for clinic nurses tends to be highest when it is owned by a hospital (and not a doctor-owned practice). Pay here can be up to equal the hospital nurses. From the clinic nurses I've talked to, it seems those with more experience find more discrepancy in clinic vs hospital pay, and of course there's less opportunity for overtime or holiday pay in the clinic.

From my experiences, working conditions in the clinic are superior than working conditions in hospitals. You can count on a lunch 95% of the time, even 15 minute breaks sometimes, and there is almost never a time when you can't go to the bathroom. This job is also far less physical than in the hospital.

Good luck with what you decide