New grad to MD office??

[AmyRN1227]

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!

[Mijourney]

Hi Amy. I don't work in a physician's office. I'm from the traditional school of training in which starting off in a hospital was essentially the only option we had back then. I do feel strongly about the need to have hospital-based experience in order to tie that experience in with work in another setting, although I realize that everyone cannot fit into the same box. I and others suggested to another nursing student that posted on this bb and wanted to start out in psych to get that year of med-surg experience, because we felt it would make them a better psych nurse. Psychiatric patients have multi problems.

I think if you decide to start work in a nontraditional setting that the suggestion of working in a general or family practice office is a good one. As a home health nurse, I experienced culture shock when I first started in home care, even though I had worked many years doing facility-based nursing.

If you decide to go into facility-based nursing after working in a physician's office, you may experience culture shock. You may want to start in the hospital working prn or part time to get acclimated. Best wishes on your family and your career.

[Mijourney]

Hi Amy. I don't work in a physician's office. I'm from the traditional school of training in which starting off in a hospital was essentially the only option we had back then. I do feel strongly about the need to have hospital-based experience in order to tie that experience in with work in another setting, although I realize that everyone cannot fit into the same box. I and others suggested to another nursing student that posted on this bb and wanted to start out in psych to get that year of med-surg experience, because we felt it would make them a better psych nurse. Psychiatric patients have multi problems.

I think if you decide to start work in a nontraditional setting that the suggestion of working in a general or family practice office is a good one. As a home health nurse, I experienced culture shock when I first started in home care, even though I had worked many years doing facility-based nursing.

If you decide to go into facility-based nursing after working in a physician's office, you may experience culture shock. You may want to start in the hospital working prn or part time to get acclimated. Best wishes on your family and your career.

[mustangsheba]

Amy: It's great if you work for a doc that likes to teach. Before I went to nursing school I worked for two MD's (not at the same time)who were willing to spend the time to explain things to me. It was amazing how much information my "sponge" soaked up in ten years. By the time I started nursing school, I had many disease processes down pat. You also develop a close working relationship with your boss which is pretty effective in eliminating the intimidation one might feel from the MD's when you start out on the floor. I think the benefits for you at this point would outweigh the lower income.

[mustangsheba]

Amy: It's great if you work for a doc that likes to teach. Before I went to nursing school I worked for two MD's (not at the same time)who were willing to spend the time to explain things to me. It was amazing how much information my "sponge" soaked up in ten years. By the time I started nursing school, I had many disease processes down pat. You also develop a close working relationship with your boss which is pretty effective in eliminating the intimidation one might feel from the MD's when you start out on the floor. I think the benefits for you at this point would outweigh the lower income.