What Is Outpatient Nursing? Jobs and Career Options
Outpatient, or ambulatory, nursing refers to care for patients who don't require overnight or extended stays in care facilities, typically associated with relatively quick treatments or chronic conditions. If you’re looking for outpatient nursing jobs, you’ll find openings for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), certified nursing assistants (CNAs), and medical assistants right now in a variety of ambulatory centers.
Whether you’d like to provide primary care in a medical office, treat patients at a same day surgery center, support a busy clinic in your community, or work in another type of outpatient role, you can find positions right now on Credenza. Some of the more in-demand jobs for outpatient nurses include:
Outpatient Nursing Jobs: Which Type of Role Is Best for You?
Given the wide variety of outpatient roles and settings available to nurses, you’ll want to have some idea of where and how you’d like to work. For instance, home health nurses travel to patients’ homes and typically interact with their family members. Specializing in geriatric or memory care may also lead to home health nursing roles, whereas dermatology or orthopedic specialties are more aligned with roles in private practice clinics.
You can also decide what type of schedule you'd like to work: full-time, part-time, contract, temporary, or per diem jobs.
Resume and Cover Letter for an Outpatient Nurse Job
A professional resume and cover letter can let employers know why they should hire you based not only on your clinical training, but also your relevant soft skills. Take a look at the primary responsibilities in the job ad — your nursing resume should include your experience performing those duties.
In your cover letter, you can go into further detail. For example, if you’re applying to a job at a specialty clinic that requires a nurse to be able to “support patients undergoing hemodialysis therapy,” explain your commitment to providing compassionate care. This can help convince an employer that you’re to be considered a top candidate.
Interviewing for Outpatient Nurse Jobs
To stand out from the competition, make sure you spend enough time preparing for a job interview. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are — expect your nerves to be rattled. One way to present well is by practicing your answers in advance. Check out our overview of the top outpatient nurse interview questions for factilities to ask to get an idea of what employers will want to know, and what your answers will reveal.
Salaries for Outpatient Nurses
In outpatient settings, the average salary for a nurse practitioner is $143,600 per year; the average salary for an RN is $107,650 per year; the average salary for an LPN is $69,630 per year; the average salary for a CNA is $46,570; and the average salary for a medical assistant is $51,550 per year.
Your paycheck can be affected by your experience, level of education, employer, and the state in which you work. For a better idea of outpatient nursing jobs’ salary expectations in your area, explore the current openings on Credenza.
Ready to Find Outpatient Nursing Jobs?
Check out all the positions available right now. Want more options? Credenza can match you with even more nursing jobs that interest you.
