CVS Minute Clinic

TransplantRN3 · Apr 25, 2016

I agree with a previous poster that you should wait until you are comfortable with your new job before looking for supplemental income. I started at CVS Minute Clinic as a new grad and have found it to be a great starting place. Yes, there are clinical guidelines that we have in place to guide our care, but these guidelines that "guide" us are just that. We are expected to treat within them as they are made from evidence based practice, but we still have autonomy and can treat outside the guideline too as long as we are appropriately documenting and including rationale.

I have seen a lot of providers comes and go (experienced and new grads). Just like any job, not everyone is cut out for this type of job. People sink or swim. I know some providers who have left MC only to try out a different job, and then return. I have also had many coworkers who start here as a new grad and then after getting experience, have found other great jobs (hospital, private practice, etc) and have been very successful.

While we do not treat everything an urgent care setting can, we do see more critical conditions. The provider works alone so must know when a more appropriate referral is needed. Sometimes patients come here because they simply don't know where to go.

Good luck with your new job! If you have any questions about MC feel free to message me. There is also a 'Nurse Practitioners in retail health" that you can join to connect with your peers.

I have coworkers that get supplemental income by picking up extra shifts with different MC locations. I also have some that work PT for other companies/practices. If you are worried about losing skills, then I think picking up extra hours somewhere once comfortable with your FT work as a new grad would be a good idea.

blondenurse12, MSN, NP · May 13, 2016

I work at Minute Clinic and honestly, it is a good job in terms of experience and learning. A lot of people poo poo it but it is a radically different model of care than two years ago when I first hired on.

We see all types of complaints, headaches, back pain, abdominal pain, contraceptive counseling, smoking cessation, diabetic monitoring and teaching. We will soon be initializing treatment and managing hypertension. Basically we are a primary care office and urgent care smashed into one. We don't currently order imaging or labwork besides the basics but that will be changing in the next 12 months. We do have guidelines to assist in decision making but it's only a guide now, not a hardstop.

You will learn a lot and your co-workers will help you as will the docs on call. The schedule can suck but they are trying to change to every third weekend now. You also won't get narc seekers (Hallelujah!).

gerry79 · May 17, 2016

I currently work at Minute Clinic and have for the past 2 years (my first NP job) and must say that I have learned quite a bit. I will be leaving next week to pursue employment at an urgent care to broaden my scope of practice. I have seen many come and go, and those who have departed are doing well in their chosen area of care. An ex coworker convinced me to move to the urgent care, and after extensive shadowing I accepted the position. My advice would be to wait a year before seeking other employment.