Possibilities after Ambulatory Care / Clinic Nursing

MJ415 · May 10, 2012

Bump

In need of some advice from anyone in the know please.

brownbook · May 11, 2012

Hi!
I'm trying to map out my nursing career.
As a new-grad, will working in ambulatory care limit your future options as a RN?
I'm asking because once a new-grad works as an RN - they are no longer eligible for new-grad programs. On the other hand, if an ambulatory care RN has no other experience, they are not competitive for acute care positions such as the ER or ICU right?
Can you even move on to a med-surg unit if you are competing in a pool of experienced RN's with hospital experience?
I hope that I'm wrong and that clinic nursing isn't the end of the road.
Big thanks to all those with helpful advice!

Hi, I need to know what your job will entail? If you could give more details to what your duties will be? Working "ambulatory care" is just a little to vague to give you any advice.

MJ415 · May 11, 2012

Hi, I need to know what your job will entail? If you could give more details to what your duties will be? Working "ambulatory care" is just a little to vague to give you any advice.

Thanks for your reply brownbrook. I'll let you know as soon as I find out.

DutchRN09 · May 12, 2012

I work in Ambulatory Surgery, have 2.5 yrs experience and am moving to SICU. So I think its possible to move. I am moving because of a spouse transfer, or I would have stayed. I like it a lot. Lots of variety and nice co workers and surgeons

MJ415 · May 12, 2012

Thanks for your reply Dutch!

Did you face any particular stumbling blocks when applying to the SICU? Was there any negative feedback in relation to your qualifications to work in critical care as former ambulatory care RN?

Also, most importantly for me to know, did you have hospital experience prior to working in ambulatory care?

purplechicxiii, BSN, RN · May 14, 2012

I also worked as an ambulatory surgery nurse for 2 years, had 2 months of company nurse before. Now, I'm still choosing/waiting between OHN and orthopedic surgery nurse. But in my point of view, the ambulatory surgery nurse opens for better opportunities if you would want to advance your career to any specialization, it all depends on your detailed job description.

MJ415 · May 15, 2012

What do you all like most about ambulatory care and clinic nursing?

purplechicxiii, BSN, RN · May 16, 2012

I love to teach. When I was a kid everbody thought that I will follow my late mom's footsteps and be a teacher. So I guess I get to be one when I teach nursing to my patients - where of course you get to do a lot in an ambulatory clinic. :)

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MJ415 · May 16, 2012

Cool. Thank you. Hypothetically speaking, if you wanted to work in critical care later down the road, do you think that you'd be competitive?

I've put some thought into this, and it would seem that not having hospital experience would be held against an RN when put up against an RN that does.

purplechicxiii, BSN, RN · May 16, 2012

Cool. Thank you. Hypothetically speaking, if you wanted to work in critical care later down the road, do you think that you'd be competitive?
I've put some thought into this, and it would seem that not having hospital experience would be held against an RN when put up against an RN that does.

That I'm not really sure. But I don't think that will be a barrier for you since you are still dealing with patients, just as you do in both situations. However, if you are to apply in a critical care unit someday, you should lay down the road to that as early as now, coz if I were to be the hiring manager, I will prefer the one who has worked in the same area. As for me, I'm not into the critical care unit so I guess I'm just fine with my past experience. I hope you get my point, I know it's kinda blur. haha :))

overtonis · May 16, 2012

Unfortunately, I do think it will put you behind med-surg nurses who are trying to transfer over to critical care. Critical Care is all about titrating drips, vented patients who might have multiple drains, central lines and A lines in very fast paced environment. What you should try to do is find something in your job description (maybe you deal with drains) and highlight that in your resume and cover letter when applying for ICU job. Your best bet is to find a hospital with poor nursing job satisfaction rates (look for hospitals with ICU ratio of 3:1 some are even 4:1). I work per diem in ICU at NJ hospital for past 16 months and have seen turnover rate for staff at about 90% due to high ratio 3:1 combined with poor ancillary help. They hire almost any nurse as staff due to high turnover rates. That type of hospital is your best bet to get your foot in door then get your 1 year experience and apply to better hospitals like your University Hospitals near a major city. Hope this helps you.

Carl