Outpatient New Grad Opportunity

[Nursekaty19]

Hi all! Hoping for some input.. I graduate from nursing school in 6 months, and have been offered an outpatient nursing position at a women's health clinic as a Triage nurse after graduation/NCLEX. (I have worked at this clinic as a medical assistant for three years and have continued to work there throughout school). My ultimate goal is to pursue a career as a Labor and Delivery nurse, but I have heard over and over that it is incredibly rare for new grads to be hired in this specialty.

I am torn because I know that outpatient clinics require little to no hands-on skills (I understand this varies, but generally speaking...), especially in comparison to an inpatient setting. However, as an outpatient triage nurse at this clinic, I would still have the opportunity to perform assessments, carry out and interpret fetal monitoring tests, and work very closely with several of the same physicians I would in L&D at the hospital. Our triage nurses also perform straight catheterizations, assist with in-office procedures and (although rarely) establish IV's.

Ideally, if I do accept the position, I would like to work at the clinic as a triage nurse for 1-2 years max, then transition into a L&D hospital position.

My question for everyone - how would it look on a resume to have worked in an outpatient clinic straight out of school, considering my ultimate goal is related to the responsibilities of the outpatient setting?

Sorry for the long preface! I appreciate any feedback!

[EDNURSE20, BSN]

I say go for it!

Getting a job as a new grad isn’t easy. Especially if your trying for one speciality. Having a job guaranteed related to your area of interest is good.

I’m assuming you enjoy working there. If you know you are going to be supported and get on well with staff, then it’s the perfect place to start.

[Sour Lemon]

It sounds like you have a definite comfort zone, but I think acute care experience might be more helpful. You should at least try for L&D ...or mother and baby, maybe?

[EllaBella1, BSN]

I would skip this job. As rare as it is for a new grad to be hired into L&D, it's even more rare for a grad with a couple years of non-hospital experience to be hired into it. There are so many new grad programs out there now that help you transition into a hospital setting, but there are just not as many opportunities for established nurses who haven't worked in the hospital. I would use your new grad status to your advantage to get hired into a good hospital system, and then make the transition over to L&D when you are able to.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Look for L&D, Mother/Baby, Nursery and/or NICU positions and apply for them. If you want to be in acute care, you are going to fare much better getting there if you start out there.

[FeliciaRNCPN]

I say go for it!

I worked outpatient pediatrics for 3 years right out of school and when I started applying for adult inpatient jobs I was offered one within a few months. For me it was not my ideal job but I learned a lot about time management, prioritizing and critical thinking. It ended up being very helpful to start outpatient. All of my new grad anxieties were gone and I was able to concentrate on honing my skills needed for impatient.

I do know a number of nurses in my cohort at the hospital who started this way and ended up in L&D/Mother baby. In my hospital system they NEVER hire new grad nurses for these floors and do appreciate either inpatient medsurg experience or related clinic work in hiring for these positions.