well i just graduated in may 2010, still waiting to take the nclex exam, and i was offered a nursing position in the outpatient clinics section for the company i work for....
i know that in this economy especially being a new jersey resident i'm very lucky to have this position, however i really wanted a hospital job....
i figure i will stay there for a year until i find my "dream job"...my question to you guys is...does working as a nurse in basically a doctor's office count as experience??? i'm really feeling down and out...but i feel like i should just be happy...but i'm not...
A few of my coworkers have come to hospital nursing from other areas, especially LTC, but also clinics. I think it's fair to say they've found the transition challenging. I think it's also fair to say they've had important advantages over GNs, even GNs with some previous experience in healthcare. My take is simple: nothing prepares you for being a nurse like being a nurse. An LPN in a family practice in a small town has experiences that a fantastic CNA in a major teaching hospital doesn't.
Would a year, or five, in a clinic make you ready to hit the floor running in an acute care setting? Probably not, and a nurse manager or HR recruiter might not give you "credit" for that experience when it comes to negotiating salary. Still, I think there has to be some consideration for someone who has worked successfully in a nursing role, in comparison to a brand new graduate. Of course, there are a lot of individual factors that may ultimately carry more weight. I'd much rather work with a bright, eager GN than someone who has spent a couple of years doing her nails on the clock. But, in general, I think some experience is better than no experience. Really, if you've worked in a drive-thru window for a couple of years, you've learned things that will relate to bedside nursing. (Unfortunately, perhaps!)
I got hired to work in a Telemetry floor where I did my preceptorship working the night shift right before I graduated. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I lost that position because I didn't passed my NCLEX. When I finally passed the NCLEX, it was around the time a lot of nursing students were graduating, so I was in competition. My friend told me that her friend was looking for a nurse to work at the clinic. I wasn't thinking about working at a clinic since where I used to work as an MA, the nurses mostly sat on their butts and the MAs did most of the procedures except give out medications. I decided to give it a try after months of applying to every hospital and growing frustrated.
When they interviewed me, they asked me if I was interested. Before I gave the answer, I asked to shadow a nurse. Now it's almost two years since I worked at this clinic and I've done IVs, gave injections, wound care, triages, handled "Code Blues" (we have a lot of patients coming in for chest pains, and seizures and vasovagal reactions), patient education, dealt with difficult and demanding patients and got hired as Lead Nurse.
I get along with the providers. The only thing that bothers me most are my MAs acting like "princesses" and of course, demanding patients. My MAs complain a lot, backstab each other and there is a lot of gossip. But hey, that happens everywhere. The pay that I initially got was $1 more than what I would have gotten as a new grad working the night shift on the Tele floor. To be honest, I don't know if I would have survived the night shift, since the only time I remember being awake during those wee hours, was when I went out partying during my college years and returning to my dorm at 7 am.
My point is, not all clinics are the same and you will gain experience depending on the clinic you work. My clinic feels more like an Urgent Care because of what I had mentioned. Yesterday, when I went to visit my brother at the Intermediate Care Unit I somewhat wished I could work there, because I haven't forgotten what I learned during my rotations. Plus, the good thing about nursing is that there are different aspects to it and you will change throughout your life and always gain experience. Good luck with whatever you decide. ~BJ~
You might be surprised at how much you learn working in an MD's office, especially if the MD is willing to teach you things. I did EKG's, and read the strips before I gave them to the MD. and really boned up on my rhythms. We too, had people come in with chest pain and ran the code till 911 came, and a baby was even born at our clinic (on my day off of course!) I got to know the new drugs that came out and would pick the brain of the drug reps. I performed PFT's and analyzed the results, and looked at all the labs and got to know the values and cleared the negative ones. I did A LOT of patient teaching--even had patients with new onset chronic diseases come in before the MD and did one on one teaching for chronic illnesses. Got to know the patient and their spouse or SO, as well as their families. I would assess/triage pts and try and figure out their illness/disease before MD saw them, them I'd discuss my findings with MD later and find out why he RXed them the way he did. I learned how to assess children with earaches, and can spot an OM with a otoscope, which comes in handy for my kids as well as when I worked camps.
Imvho nothing in life is "perfect" so I think you are smart to take this job and get some experience even if it isn't what you pictured. Bills need to get paid and you will definitely be looked upon more favorably as being an experienced nurse rather than a new grad that did nothing nursing related. Congratulations and good luck.
When you get to the hospital setting you'll need orientation, yes, but the benefits of having worked in a clinical setting will be obvious to both your preceptor and your hiring manager - oh, yes, and to your patients as well.
The grass is always greener on the other side. you might eventually get into a hospital setting and hate it! Am not trying to knock you down but this might just be a great opportunity to avoid all the BS that happens in hospital setting. if you do a search you'll find several posts of new grads that want to quit after less than 6mths in the hospital.
I am an ER nurse who work the weekend option at my hospital and when I'm bored during the week, I pick up two 8 hour days in the clinics in my hospital.
Outpatient clinics are different than inpatient. I do alot of patient teaching, in fact, I see alot of my patients that I've seen in the ER. Every now and then, I may start an IV, or do an EKG. Some of the nurses who work there have been doing clinic work for years. Personally, I couldnt do it. I don't like sitting behind the desk, or making calls to pharmacy, or doing script refills.
So, I started picking up extra hours in the GI lab. I needed more pt hands on, I needed to start IV's or do some concious sedation, or something more than vitals or patient teaching. I will say that my time spent in the med clinics I've really learned my drugs like the back of my hands, maybe because I've explained them so many times a day.
I would go ahead and take the clinic job, but continue to apply for hospital jobs.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Every job will provide learning opportunities. It's all about what you take out of it. Just tell yourself that you're going to take every opportunity you can to learn absolutely everything you can, and you won't go wrong.
Thanks everyone for the awesome advice....I will learn as much as I can from this job absorb it and apply it as I move on with my career....I'm still not happy but I will definetely turn this situation into a positive....Thanks for the support!!!!! XOXOXO
Other New Grads or Nurses in general will die to have your position in this current economy. A nurse is a nurse. Just be happy and consider yourself lucky that you were hired among other potential candidates, especially when some people take months or years to even get a job as a nurse. It's your attitude towards your occupation that matters and knowing that whatever experience you gain, will count towards your resume. Who knows? You may end up liking it. ~BJ~.
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nursemike, ASN, RN
1 Article; 2,362 Posts
A few of my coworkers have come to hospital nursing from other areas, especially LTC, but also clinics. I think it's fair to say they've found the transition challenging. I think it's also fair to say they've had important advantages over GNs, even GNs with some previous experience in healthcare. My take is simple: nothing prepares you for being a nurse like being a nurse. An LPN in a family practice in a small town has experiences that a fantastic CNA in a major teaching hospital doesn't.
Would a year, or five, in a clinic make you ready to hit the floor running in an acute care setting? Probably not, and a nurse manager or HR recruiter might not give you "credit" for that experience when it comes to negotiating salary. Still, I think there has to be some consideration for someone who has worked successfully in a nursing role, in comparison to a brand new graduate. Of course, there are a lot of individual factors that may ultimately carry more weight. I'd much rather work with a bright, eager GN than someone who has spent a couple of years doing her nails on the clock. But, in general, I think some experience is better than no experience. Really, if you've worked in a drive-thru window for a couple of years, you've learned things that will relate to bedside nursing. (Unfortunately, perhaps!)