Inpatient vs Outpatient nursing

[EC1234]

I was just wondering if outpatient and inpatient nurses in the hospital get paid the same amount of money because it appears that nurses who work in outpatient settings have the simple tasks of escorting the patients to the exam room and taking blood pressures. Or is the job actually a lot harder than it looks? I mean if this is the case, I might as well be working in outpatient setting to reduce the stress.

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

Can't say. Have never worked outpatient in a hospital.

Perhaps the best way to find out what all they do would be to follow one around all day and see how their day is.

I would think they are payed the same, regardless. And I don't believe their day is any less stressful ... each has its merits, each has its drawbacks.

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

I had clinicals in outpt day surgery. Very stressful, very fast-paced.

[Anagray, BSN]

our outpatient in cardiology is one of the craziest places and takes a LOT of work.

[jemb]

Probably depends on the clinic...

I work in an outpatient setting. In any given workday, I insert and monitor IV's on 4-8 patients, administer chemotherapy to several of these patients, administer blood products to at least one patient each day, teach patients about their chemo treatments, care for central lines and teach patients how to care for their own lines.

I also get a lot of telephone calls from other departments, including lab, home health, pharmacy and other nurses and doctors. I get calls from patients (triage calls included), and schedule treatments. I insert PICC lines. I teach patients how to draw up medications in a syringe and give their own sq injections.

I monitor our patients labs, which includes getting the paperwork to the patients and following up to verify that they are drawn so the are ready before the treatment is due.

These are just a few of the "tasks". I won't even go into all the psycho-social and family issues that I encounter every day.

And, yes, I am the one who escorts them to the treatment room and gets their blood pressure! :)