Preparing for Doctor's Office/Outpatient Position?

Published Apr 9, 2016

791 Posts

I'm considering a transition to an outpatient setting to reduce the toll that nursing has taken on my body. I'm guessing that my most likely options are transferring within the network if things go well with my current job (iffy), or returning to a network that I've worked for previously (and left in good standing when my hospital closed).

What can I do to make myself more marketable for a change to this type of position? My work history includes LTC, SAR, LTACH, wound care, and med-surg. I have next to no experience with coding and billing and pediatric nursing.

I'm seeing job requirements like knowledge of OSHA, CLIA, and ADA, TB validated. Basic knowledge of medical terminology and general knowledge of ICD-9 and CPT coding.

What does "basic knowledge of medical terminology" mean? It is an RN position, after all. I've learned a little bit more than "the head bone's connected to the neck bone." In the real world, is it beneficial for me to attempt to learn some of these things independently? Should I take classes? Or do employers pay for job-specific training the way they often do with inpatient nurses? For example - I was TB validated with an employer a long time ago, it was employer-sponsored, and very little trouble to arrange. I don't want it to be like a pharmacy tech program, where you're paying for training that the employer would provide anyway.

My references are strong, I interview well - I present myself professionally, I am well spoken. But I won't have a chance if my resume is lacking something that they require before they'll even consider my application.

If a mod knows of a better placement for this, I don't mind getting moved. I didn't see anything that looked right under nursing specialties.

Thanks for any input!