How translatable is clinic nursing?

[grownuprosie]

Hi!

I just graduated from nursing school, ASN, on friday. The RN residencies in my area are so competative and I have not even gotten a call back from any of them. The light at the end of the tunnel is that I was offered a float RN position at the clinic where I work. I would be floating from DI, derm, endoscopy, urology, surgury center, infusion therapy and also a few phone triage positions. I have been told that once you go out patient, you can never get back into the hospital. I am wondering if having such a wide variety of experiences would allow me to break that mold. My office is so flexible that I can go Per-Diem next year to finish my BSN. I ultimately want to end up in a hospital. I am afraid that I am shooting myself in the foot by considering out-patient for two years. Can anyone advise me? Were you able to move from out-pt to acute care?

Thank you so much!

[brownbook]

Your clinic job description would look great on any resume. The skills will be great for getting a job in the acute care setting down the road.....but I am not sure why you would want to! (Kind of joking...but it does sound like a wonderful job.) What area of acute care hospital were you interested in working?

Are you concerned about getting the "skills" of an acute care med/surg nurse under your belt so you will be a "real" nurse? From what I read, your clinic sounds almost like an acute care facility? Improvements in surgeries and invasive procedures have made clinics the "hospitals" of the future.

I bet most acute care med/surg nurses would kill for your clinic job.

[HippyDippyLPN]

My BFF worked allergy clinic for 1.5 years and thought the same " no hospital will want me.". She works in a cardiac step down unit now at a wonderful hospital. You will get great experience doing a float position, sounds exciting to me'

[roser13, ASN, RN]

Successfully floating between all those services (especially the surgery center) will look remarkable on a relatively new nurse's resume. Go for it - it sounds wonderful!

[Ella26, BSN, RN]

I would love to work in all those specialties but on a out patient basis. I think this would be valuable experience.

[dmp135]

I know many nurses who have done inpatient and outpatient, including myself. I think the job you describe sounds great depending on what you want to do. It is also very clinical and with specialties. I think that would be very valuable.

[sistasoul]

Sounds interesting! Sounds like a lot of skills can be obtained with all of the specialties as well as a lot of knowledge. I have worked inpatient for over 4 years and would LOVE to have a lob like this. I would take it in a heartbeat. Floor nursing is very stressful.

[realredhead1979]

Looking back, I wish I would have went straight into Med-Surg right out of school. I've been in internal medicine/family practice for 14 years.

I think you should take it. Be aware though, that clinic nursing has gone to what I like to call " being an insurance clerk" along with all the other responsibilties you will have. I am stressed out. It's a different type of thing than floor nursing. Both have their stressers. mine being trying to room and triage 20 patients, answering and doing telephone triage of upwards of 30 patients, calling in Rx, getting paperwork done, etc.

[happyclinicRN, RN]

Sounds like you will have a wide variety of skills used. I can't see how that wouldn't transmit later to a great résumé! Go for it! P.s. I float between family practice and specialty that includes obgyn, cardiology, ortho, peds. I love it! You are not in one place long enough to get involved in the dept drama and you'll get to know everyone!