What is ambulatory care in nursing?
Ambulatory care nurses were also referred to outpatient nurses. Ambulatory care is a special unit in the hospital environment that takes care of walk-in patients in other words known as the outpatients. Ambulatory care deal with no chronic situations.
Writing about ambulatory nursing could be tasking for new students. The more reason our team has crafted together some content on how you can write a very impressive and award-winning answering the question of what is ambulatory care in nursing.
Ambulatory care nursing
Ambulatory care in nursing is an independent department that deals with outpatients or walk-in clients who do not need further admission into a facility. These patients present symptoms that do not need further admission to the facility.
What does Ambulatory Care stand for?
Ambulatory care refers to the treatment services performed on or given to patients who are not admitted to the hospital wards. It is also referred to as the outpatients and is handled at the outpatient department in a hospital setup.
What is the focus of ambulatory care?
The major focus of ambulatory care is to assist the patients effectively without going to the hospital. The services offered at ambulatory care can range from consultations, diagnosis, clinics, treatment, rehabilitation services, and handling of minor surgeries.
Ambulatory care vs outpatient care
Outpatient care and ambulatory care all mean the same service or care offered to a patient who doesn’t need to stay in a hospital as an inpatient. Ambulatory care also has an aspect of assessment and diagnosis and admission of care.
What is an example of ambulatory care?
The most advantageous part of outpatient care alias ambulatory nursing is the aspect of not having to visit a hospital institution but can be administered by any trained nurse at a local drug store. Most of the ambulatory services range from gynecologist visits, routine blood pressure checks, routine temperature checks, pediatricians, and obstetrics appointments all serving walk-in clients.
The ambulatory services have since reduced the longer cues in the major hospital as minor surgeries like the family planning implant it also a part of the outpatient or walk-in service. Examples of ambulatory care are:
- Major hospital outpatient departments
- Community clinics
- Specialized clinics (gynecologists)
- Ambulatory surgery
- Dialysis centers
- Hospice centers
What does an ambulatory care nurse do?
The first question that pops up automatically is who is an ambulatory nurse, what are the duties, and then finally how to become one. Well, an ambulatory nurse or an outpatient nurse is a registered nurse with the nursing bodies. They provide care to patients who are not qualified to be admitted to the hospital.
They are concerned with same-day treatment and discharge. These can be done in clinics, community-based health centers, and outpatient clinic setups in major hospitals. The nurses are well-rounded in the knowledge of most of the multi-disciplines which helps them to assess the walk-in patients and prescribe an accurate treatment procedure.
These nurses see a number of patients per day because of the minimum process applied to the patients. Well, now you know what an ambulatory nurse does. Let us now discuss the major prequalification for becoming one.
Ambulatory nurses might not deal with specific populations. They handle a variety of present issues that are non-acute.
Where can ambulatory nurses work?
Ambulatory nurses are in high demand, this has been escalated by the private practicing entrepreneurs who have established medical facilities. Below are some of the places an ambulatory nurse can work:
- Special clinics (gynecologists)
- Community health facilities
- Outpatient diagnostics centers
- University health clinics
- Military base clinics
- Private clinics
- Major hospital’s outpatient departments
- Primary care facilities
Below are some of the conditions an ambulatory nurse can effectively handle in the dynamic medical field.
The nurses may assist in surgeries such as:
- Cataracts correction procedures and other eye-related
- Hernia repair
- Liposuction procedures
- Endoscopy procedures
- Biopsy procedures
There are some chronic conditions that an ambulatory curse can handle. These are patients with conditions such as:
- Asthmatic patients
- Diabetes 1 or 2
- Heart attack
- High blood pressure
While ambulatory nurses in a general setup interact with a number of situations, those special units only interact with patients in the same line. The specific units could be:
- Wound treatment clinics
- Reproductive health
How to Become an Ambulatory Care Nurse
Becoming an ambulatory nurse just like any other nursing department requires you to join a nursing school and pass all the provided exams with the best grades.
- Attending a nursing school
Attending a nursing school, and completing and applying to be a registered nurse is the very first step to becoming an ambulatory nurse or an outpatient nurse.
- Become a nursing degree holder
Being a degree graduate sets you apart and with more advantages. This is not the highest level of education attainable but employers do prefer this as the bare minimum.
- Passing the NCLEX exams
Passing the NCLEX exams is only to test your competency as a nurse. With this, you stand a chance of joining any institution with the category of your choice.
- Become a member of a registered body
Becoming a member of a body makes you accountable and increases the level of trust among employers. This shows how serious your work is to you and the minimum error margins they can expect from you.
With all these considered by the employer, having minimum experience is also a plus for an entry job. This will make you stand out among fresh grandaunts who have not been exposed to the real environment.
So what are some of the skills that would be required for a highly competent registered ambulatory nurse? Yes, nursing is a calling that flows seamlessly in the way you dispense your duties. However, with these listed skills you will enjoy it more:
- Perfect assessment skills
- Attention to details
- A good listener
- Patience
- Empathy
- Perfect writing and communication skills
- Resilience is also one that cannot be omitted
- Time management skill is very important
An ambulatory nurse deals with different patients with divergent issues and different attitudes. Equipping yourself with such skills will not only make you enjoy the job but will help in controlling yourself when exposed. The good news is that these skills can be learned on the job with time.
The role of the registered nurse in ambulatory care
Ambulatory nurses tend to interact with different clients with different issues on daily basis. This is an advantage on their part because they are able to learn more and how some of the mutations can be mitigated.
They are always the first to know of a particular outbreak as they interact with the people in the community. They can therefore paint practical and adaptable data to be used in some statistics. The nurses provide the following services:
- Educating the patients on illness prevention and medications in the wake of outbreaks
- Clients follow us via telephone dubbed telehealth communications
- Blood pressure monitor
- Temperature monitor
- Vital organs monitor and check up
- Issuance of family planning
- Task delegation to others
- Historical questions at the triage
- Caring for patients with wounds
- Administration of sedatives whenever necessary
- Administration of antibacterial medications
- Prescription of drugs
- Prenatal and antenatal care
- Lab tests and test interpretations
- Child care
- Post-partum care
In a nutshell
Ambulatory care or outpatient care is as important as hospitals. They come in handy for special attention to the patients who walk in to receive treatment and are allowed to go back home. The telehealth aspect has also come in handy as the nurses make close follow up on the patients.
To the ambulatory nurse, the space offers them a learning curve both in the field and as a person as they grow their skills.
