Most
people think that when you become a nurse, you only have one option.
And that option is – to work in a hospital setting. That is not true.
There are a lot of nursing fields and specialties where a nurse is
required to work in a non-hospital setting. One of these specialties
includes Ambulatory Care Nursing.
What is Ambulatory Care Nursing?
Ambulatory
Care Nursing is a field of nursing that deals with patients on a
preventive and maintenance level. Acute care is also included in
ambulatory care nursing, but most of the time nurses deal with patients
having long term needs. This field of nursing often makes nurses
practice outside the hospital. They are often assigned in ambulatory
clinics, community centers, schools, surgical units and so on.
Responsibilities of an Ambulatory Care Nurse
The
ambulatory care nurse has lots of responsibilities. He/she may have to
deal with a large amount of patients in the span of the day. The average
interaction time between a patient and an ambulatory care nurse rarely
extends past an hour. Despite the number of patients and the short
interaction time, these nurses still have to perform basic nursing
duties.
These
duties include the provision of health care to all sorts of patients
with varied illnesses. The nurse may also function as a counselor and
advocate for patients in need of psych and social assistance. He/she may
also have to perform home based or telephone follow-ups for patients
who cannot make it to clinics.
In
an ambulatory care nursing, emphasis is placed on the importance of
home care and patient education. That is why the nurse has to work as an
effective educator. Patients need to learn to perform basic procedures
on their own. It is also the nurse’s responsibility to translate complex
procedures into terms the patient can easily understand. A patient
education practices also extend to post and pre-op ambulatory surgical
patients. They are also applied with individuals undergoing long term
pain management.
Despite
the seemingly complex duties of an ambulatory care nurse, a lot of
individuals are still drawn to it. The main reason for that is the fact
that these nurses work regular hours. The position eliminates the need
for nurses to work on varying shifts from day to day. It is a great job
for nurses that have growing families, those that go to school at night
as well as those that maintain part-time night jobs.
Areas of Practice
Get
rid of the notion that an ambulatory care nurse only works in a clinic.
True, most ambulatory care nurses do find themselves in the clinical
setting. But, there are various areas where an ambulatory care nurse can
work. It may include working with paramedics in an ambulance or working
as a school and company nurse. The job may also include working in a
surgical or community setting. Ambulatory care nurses may also be called
to provide home care to patients who need it.
Requirements and Qualifications
LOCALLY – There are no set rules and regulations in order to become an ambulatory care nurse in the Philippines.
The main requirement is to be registered with the Professional
Regulation Commission. Experience working in a hospital setting or
otherwise may also be helpful in gaining a position in ambulatory care
units.
Keep
in mind that there are all sorts of ambulatory care units in the
country. For Filipino nurses who want to work in surgical outpatient
units, he/she must have a solid background as an operating room nurse.
The same goes for other specialized areas in the ambulatory care nursing
field.
US
- In order to work in ambulatory care, the nurse must first garner a
solid two years working as a registered nurse in any setting. For most
states in the US,
there is no other requirement. However, others require and prefer their
ambulatory care nurses to be certified in the field. Certification is
achieved by completing required number of work hours as an ambulatory
care nurse. It also requires that a nurse earn a certain number of
continuing education units in ambulatory care nursing. These units can
be gained by attending seminars or post graduate conferences.
For
other countries, the requirement is the same. The nurse applying for a
position as an ambulatory care nurse must be an RN in the country.
He/she must also have significant nursing experiences that will relate
to the position he/she is applying for.
Work Opportunities in Ambulatory Care Nursing
LOCAL
– There are a lot of work opportunities for local RNs in the ambulatory
care nursing field. He/she may apply for work in physician clinics or
with government community health centers. The opportunities are endless,
but the nurse applicant has to have the competitive qualifications in
order to get hired.
In
the recent decade, more and more hospitals in the country have opened
ambulatory care units. These units (especially government operated ones)
rifle through immense numbers of patients daily. These patients may
come for check-ups or for routine procedures.
Some
local ambulatory care units deal with surgical patients. Most surgical
ambulatory units deal with patients seeking minor surgery that have very
little down time. A few minutes after the procedure, the patient is
deemed well enough to get back on his/her feet and walk out of the unit.
THE US
AND OTHER COUNTRIES – Work opportunities for ambulatory care nurses
abroad can be very diverse. It can include everything from walking
surgical centers, ambulances, pain managements units, mobile clinics,
home care and home visits nursing, community centers, schools, work
areas, etc. Some countries and American states require certification
from their ambulatory care nurses. Nevertheless, most of the time only a
regular license is required.
0 comments:
Post a Comment