New Grad considering Ambulatory Care

brownbook · Jan 5, 2018

I work in an ambulatory surgery clinic. It is really easy and fun. The pay is good, less than acute care nurses, but still good. I have never worked a doctor office but I have heard the pay for an RN is comparatively a lot lower.

Ambulatory surgical patients ideally have to be healthy enough to tolerate surgery and go home 1 - 2 hours later. Many surgery clinics are not associated with an acute care hospital so there is no on call coverage for the PACU nurses. If you get a job in an ambulatory surgical clinic that is part of an acute care hospital you will have to be on call after hours.

Lossea, RN · Sep 7, 2018

I am an RN in a cardiac clinic. It sounds like you have a lot to offer to a doctor's office, and I think you will have no problem landing a job! It would certainly be a lot more tough to transition from a doctor's office to a setting with high acuity patients, where you are working now. Working with ill patients a lot, you develop critical thinking, assessment, and time management skills, all of which are really important in doctor's offices that frequently see high volume of patients and receive high volume of telephone calls. I think you'll love the sanity and the predictability of work in a clinic. I definitely encourage you to start researching this...So that when March 2019 comes around, you are ready. Crying before going to work, days before, is absolutely the worst. It just sounds like this setting is not for you, and it's totally okay.

thecareerchanger, BSN · Sep 7, 2018

Hello! I am a very recent RN new grad; so new I haven't even taken my NCLEX yet! Anyway I just received an email to interview for a Staff Nurse position at a large Health center/clinic and I am slightly torn since up to now I kind of expected to get critical or acute care experience first prior to going the clinic route. Pros to me if I were to actually get the job include: no nights which is a huge plus since I have 3 school aged kids and my hubby works varied shifts (non-healthcare); lots of patient education which I would probably love and last the position aligns with my extensive social service background (I would be a second career RN). The only real con is the fact that if at any point I decide to go the hospital route, I know if would be difficult. I am also concerned about not developing hospital "skills." In any event I understand your dilemma but I still say go for it because life is short and you should at least enjoy what you do. As for me if I go the ambulatory route and decide it's not for me, I will try and get a hospital position

rjvonrn · Nov 15, 2018

Hi the careerchanger, I have few years medical surgical floor(M/S) experience and currently working in ambulatory care setting. I agree with you that you will not learn as much nursing skills and you will not be able to enhance your critical thinking as much compare if you started in M/S. Difficulty switching from ambulatory care to the hospital center, it is going to be tough, but it will be the same as if you are starting new grad on M/S, the only thing I think you will miss out if you start in ambulatory care is the new graduate program that some hospitals are still offering. After all, any nursing experience does count, and you can alway transfer. If the ambulatory care setting that is offering you the job have an acute setting, it will be easier for you to move internally. I agree with the previous comment, it's easy and fun, but you will still learn a lot of things.