A Day in the Life of an Ambulatory Nurse
Ambulatory Nursing: A Day in the Life
Good morning! Yes—you heard this correctly—this is a nursing role that has day shift hours! Ambulatory nursing is a vast area of nursing that includes many environments from primary care provider offices to laser clinics and more.
Types of Ambulatory Nursing
Ambulatory nursing may seem hard to define as it encompasses many different types of outpatient care and each may offer different services. The American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing compiled a list of potential workplaces which include:
Hospital-based outpatient clinics—both community practice and acadmic based
Solo or group medical practices
Ambulatory surgery
Diagnostic procedure centers
Telehealth service
Military and Veterans Administration settings
Colleges and other schools
Freestanding community facilities
Care coordination organizations
Patients' homes
Walk through of Your Shift
Depending on the ambulatory nursing position, you may have responsibilities that are different from your coworkers. Urgent care is also included within ambulatory nursing and the skills required for this position are much different than the skills required for other ambulatory settings, such as a telehealth agency or an outpatient surgery center, for example.
Your day could consist of ensuring clear and concise communication with patients as you educate them on a variety of topics, taking vital signs, wound care, removing staples, relaying findings to the doctor, charting on a computer system, etc. Knowledge about chronic health conditions and how to effectively explain them to a patient is an invaluable skill and will help you to feel successful during your day.
If you take the managerial route, your day may begin with emails and staffing concerns. Clinical skills may rarely be needed as this role focuses on making the business run smoothly. This can mean that other skills you’ve developed as a nurse have a role to play. A blood pressure machine may be broken, the electronic medical record (EMR) may go down, and a disgruntled patient may want to talk to you. Managing budgets, conducting interviews, and attending conferences may be other things that need your attention.
5 Skills to Get You Through the Day
Organization—turnover of patients happens quickly in the ambulatory setting compared to an acute care setting. Once you learn the role and develop your rhythm, you can easily switch from one patient to the next throughout your day.
Time management—The pace of the ambulatory day shift can be quick, as patients are moved in and out quickly. Take care of the tasks you need to do to keep the patients moving.
Planning skills—consider what you can do ahead of time to prepare for something later in the day. If you have time to do it now, do it now.
Communicate clearly with colleagues—ask questions, ask for help when needed, and be a good team player.
Ability to adapt—canceled appointments or procedures happen frequently. This can require you to be flexible as things are changing frequently.
Time for Dinner
There can be many benefits to ambulatory nursing. One of the most alluring is the work schedule during the day. After you clock out, your home is ready to greet you with welcoming arms. The ambulatory nurse schedule can allow you to have dinner out with friends, or stay in and make pizza with the kids. You could also go for an evening walk with your dog. The options are endless for your evenings and weekends to be filled with fun and memories.
Best Part of the Job
As an ambulatory nurse, you’re positioned to have a great work-life balance. Your day shift schedule is consistent, and doesn’t often require late nights. You’re able to move your body outside of work, eat well, get breaks (most days), and have a low-stress lifestyle that you’ve been dreaming about for years. You can leave work at work and it doesn’t come home with you. The relationships built in this type of nursing can be very special as you will be able to follow up with patients as they have routine visits. What is great is that you’re still able to help other people and make a difference in their lives—while being able to take care of yourself.
Career Advancement
The ambulatory care nurse can obtain AMB-BC (Ambulatory Care Nurse-Board Certified) credentials through the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing. The credential is valid for five years after being obtained and could lead to potential education positions, management, or even better pay.
Is it a Good Fit?
EARN Cares offers a free, confidential, and friendly evaluation for every nurse! During this evaluation, they learn who you are as a nurse and what roles may fit you best. If ambulatory nursing seems like a good fit for you, let them know.
EARN Cares can help you secure your next full-time position at a vetted facility by learning where you’re at and getting you to where you want to go. Those day-shift hours and homemade pizza nights are looking better and better!
References
American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing. (n.d.). Aaacn. https://library.aaacn.org/aaacn/
American Nurses Credentialing Center | ANCC. (n.d.). ANA. https://www.nursingworld.org/ancc/
Author:
Katherine Wylie, BSN, RN provides written health content for W Health Publications. She has worked as a RN for over 10 years in various specialties. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside exploring with her husband and two kids in North Carolina.