I am just starting a nursing job in the community and am very excited for this opportunity. I also work part time on the surgical unit at our local hospital (and a few shifts on maternal child?. I have been a nurse for one year. :)

Do any of you do community nursing? What do like about your job? Any advice for a newbie? I am an RPN--we can work to our full scope in the community unlike our hospital which has to catch up.

I work in the community and I LOVE it! As you mentioned, we can do a lot more in community than most places, which is great. I use all of my skills on a regular basis, including managing central lines such as PICCs and Hickman catheters.

There is also a great deal of autonomy in community nursing, so you really get to use your noggin being alone all the time! I also believe spending time in a patients own environment and being submerged in the community really gives you a greater picture of the social determinants of health and how they come into play. It is a job that requires a lot of holistic care, for example you may have orders to see someone to treat a simple foot ulcer however you arrive in his home and discover a load of other problems that would have otherwise been missed if the client was in the hospital!

Plus the hours are great :)