New grad to MD office??

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Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surgical.

Hi all--

I would like to know if any of you started your career in a doctor's office/clinic after graduation and if you did, was it hard to go to a hospital afterwards? I'm graduating in May but also expecting a baby then too and don't know if I will have the time or the resources to start off right away in a hospital that has a 4-12 week full time orientation. Any advice would be appreciated! I know it's also a major cut in salary but don't have to work holidays or weekends usually. If you do work in a doctor's office what is your salary like?

THANKS!

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Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surgical.

Hi all--

I would like to know if any of you started your career in a doctor's office/clinic after graduation and if you did, was it hard to go to a hospital afterwards? I'm graduating in May but also expecting a baby then too and don't know if I will have the time or the resources to start off right away in a hospital that has a 4-12 week full time orientation. Any advice would be appreciated! I know it's also a major cut in salary but don't have to work holidays or weekends usually. If you do work in a doctor's office what is your salary like?

THANKS!

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You do not specify if you are an RN or LPN graduate, but I'll go on with my little "story" for ya smile.gif

Nursing school was a post-bacc career change for me. I went thru LPN school first and, towards the end of LPN school, was initially hired at a busy, multi-physician family practice office (part-time). I then enrolled in RN (ADN) school with advanced placement. My jobs began to reflect my increasing role in nursing: changed to a "doc-in-the-box" free standing urgent care clinic, then worked my way (with my LPN license) into a local Emergency Department with a Prompt Care/Minor Emergency area that was staffed with LPN's (I spent any down-time I had in the department in the "Main" ER helping the RN's). Upon getting my RN license, I was hired into the "Main" ER, received a 3 month orientation by an outstanding 20+ yr veteran ER nurse, and took many classes (Basic Critical Care, ACLS, PALS, NALS, TNCC, ENPC) and received my national Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) accreditation within a yr of hire there. I have worked my way up the ladder to our local Level II Trauma Center where I am a Senior/Charge RN in the ER. This fall, I will be attending Medical School.

Sorry so long winded. I hope this short discourse helps to illustrate to you that no matter where you start out, you can cut any pathway to your goals. You just need fierce determination and the mindset of never accepting "no" for an answer.

Look for an office that is multi-provider (MD/DO, PA, NP)and busy - ex. family practice, multi-specialty. While you are there, get your nose into everything and be a little information sponge...oh, yeah, and get those letters of recommendation!

Best of Luck to you!

Kat smile.gif

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You do not specify if you are an RN or LPN graduate, but I'll go on with my little "story" for ya smile.gif

Nursing school was a post-bacc career change for me. I went thru LPN school first and, towards the end of LPN school, was initially hired at a busy, multi-physician family practice office (part-time). I then enrolled in RN (ADN) school with advanced placement. My jobs began to reflect my increasing role in nursing: changed to a "doc-in-the-box" free standing urgent care clinic, then worked my way (with my LPN license) into a local Emergency Department with a Prompt Care/Minor Emergency area that was staffed with LPN's (I spent any down-time I had in the department in the "Main" ER helping the RN's). Upon getting my RN license, I was hired into the "Main" ER, received a 3 month orientation by an outstanding 20+ yr veteran ER nurse, and took many classes (Basic Critical Care, ACLS, PALS, NALS, TNCC, ENPC) and received my national Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) accreditation within a yr of hire there. I have worked my way up the ladder to our local Level II Trauma Center where I am a Senior/Charge RN in the ER. This fall, I will be attending Medical School.

Sorry so long winded. I hope this short discourse helps to illustrate to you that no matter where you start out, you can cut any pathway to your goals. You just need fierce determination and the mindset of never accepting "no" for an answer.

Look for an office that is multi-provider (MD/DO, PA, NP)and busy - ex. family practice, multi-specialty. While you are there, get your nose into everything and be a little information sponge...oh, yeah, and get those letters of recommendation!

Best of Luck to you!

Kat smile.gif

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Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surgical.

Thanks so much for your reply Kat! I will be graduating from an ADN program...so RN. Your post made a lot of sense and I think a busy clinic or doc office would be the best choice for me and my family right after graduation...do I just start sending out my resumes to different ones? By letters of recommendation, do you mean from my teachers now or from bosses of where I work?

So...if I start in a clinic I can still go to a hospital later on...with a little determination? Great!!!

Amy

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Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surgical.

Thanks so much for your reply Kat! I will be graduating from an ADN program...so RN. Your post made a lot of sense and I think a busy clinic or doc office would be the best choice for me and my family right after graduation...do I just start sending out my resumes to different ones? By letters of recommendation, do you mean from my teachers now or from bosses of where I work?

So...if I start in a clinic I can still go to a hospital later on...with a little determination? Great!!!

Amy

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Your very welcome.

I'm not sure about where you live, but here (in Upstate New York) our Classified Ads are FILLED TO THE BRIM with openings for office nurses and office "techs". I would start there - calling, visiting, writing them. As far as getting into a hospital from there, you, again, have to watch for the postings at your local hospital(s), in the newspaper, etc.

Others may tell you that this route is not possible (believe me, I think every ONE of them tried to discourage me), but I'm living proof it can be done.

You know....keep your mind open and don't discount the possibility that you may even *like* working in an office. In fact, because there are so many nurses who do, there exists an organization called the American Association of Office Nurses (I'm not sure if there is a web site. I've thrown away most of my nursing stuff - there's a crappy long story attached to that). I remember Springhouse Corp. published their magazine....Their home office is in NJ....

Letters of rec: school teachers/clinicians for the job, doctors and nurses from job for next job, and possibly those teacher ones for your first hospital job - one place I applied to actually asked me for them rolleyes.gif

[This message has been edited by NurseyK (edited March 13, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by NurseyK (edited March 13, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by NurseyK (edited March 13, 2001).]

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Your very welcome.

I'm not sure about where you live, but here (in Upstate New York) our Classified Ads are FILLED TO THE BRIM with openings for office nurses and office "techs". I would start there - calling, visiting, writing them. As far as getting into a hospital from there, you, again, have to watch for the postings at your local hospital(s), in the newspaper, etc.

Others may tell you that this route is not possible (believe me, I think every ONE of them tried to discourage me), but I'm living proof it can be done.

You know....keep your mind open and don't discount the possibility that you may even *like* working in an office. In fact, because there are so many nurses who do, there exists an organization called the American Association of Office Nurses (I'm not sure if there is a web site. I've thrown away most of my nursing stuff - there's a crappy long story attached to that). I remember Springhouse Corp. published their magazine....Their home office is in NJ....

Letters of rec: school teachers/clinicians for the job, doctors and nurses from job for next job, and possibly those teacher ones for your first hospital job - one place I applied to actually asked me for them rolleyes.gif

[This message has been edited by NurseyK (edited March 13, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by NurseyK (edited March 13, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by NurseyK (edited March 13, 2001).]

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Go for it, Amy. Only you know what is best for your family. I chose the same route due to the great schedule of office nursing, and found it to be my niche. I love it. It's a wonderful job. You won't know if it's for you until you try it. I only had 6 monts of acute care experience before I took this job.

I think hospital re-entry is definitely possible after office nursing. You will be very surprised how much disease info, medication, and lab knowledge you will have. Certain skills may lack over time, but you can always take refresher courses and request extra orientation time, so don't worry about that.

Best of luck, let us know how it goes.

Julie

P.S. Pay is $4-6 per hour less than the most I could make elsewhere.

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Go for it, Amy. Only you know what is best for your family. I chose the same route due to the great schedule of office nursing, and found it to be my niche. I love it. It's a wonderful job. You won't know if it's for you until you try it. I only had 6 monts of acute care experience before I took this job.

I think hospital re-entry is definitely possible after office nursing. You will be very surprised how much disease info, medication, and lab knowledge you will have. Certain skills may lack over time, but you can always take refresher courses and request extra orientation time, so don't worry about that.

Best of luck, let us know how it goes.

Julie

P.S. Pay is $4-6 per hour less than the most I could make elsewhere.

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Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surgical.

Thanks so much for your reply Julie!!

I know I will have to take a cut in pay but I think it may be worth it at this point. Thanks for your encouragement. I need to stay home with my children for a little before I go full blown into a hospital career I think. I don't think I have the time to invest in 3-month orientations right after the baby, unless some hospitals can be more flexible. I don't have anyone to stay with the baby---only my husband and I have to work around his shift at work...so, I will just have to see what's available!

But thanks for the advice!!!

Amy

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Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surgical.

Thanks so much for your reply Julie!!

I know I will have to take a cut in pay but I think it may be worth it at this point. Thanks for your encouragement. I need to stay home with my children for a little before I go full blown into a hospital career I think. I don't think I have the time to invest in 3-month orientations right after the baby, unless some hospitals can be more flexible. I don't have anyone to stay with the baby---only my husband and I have to work around his shift at work...so, I will just have to see what's available!

But thanks for the advice!!!

Amy

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