Primary Care Nurse – Office Based
A primary care nurse is a registered nurse who works in the office of a physician, handling basic office duties as well as seeing patients and delivering basic nursing care. Some of the typical nursing duties for these nurses include taking patient histories, vitals, blood pressure, and answering questions. Primary care nursing tends to be lower stress, with typical office hours and non-emergency nursing care. A primary care nurse can work in any type of office, and can work with varying levels of degree or experience.
Becoming a licensed nurse is the first step in becoming a primary care nurse. You can work as a primary care office nurse as a registered nurse (RN), licensed practical nurse (LPN) or licensed vocational nurse (LVN). You can become a registered nurse by earning a bachelor of science in nursing degree (BSN), an associate of science in nursing degree (ASN), or, less commonly, a nursing diploma from a hospital nursing program. After graduation or completing the LPN program courses, you must take and pass the NCLEX-RN or the NCLEX-PN (National Council Licensure Examination) given by your state’s board of nursing licensure examination. Most primary care nurses can begin working in entry-level positions in physician offices. Should you later decide to earn a master’s degree, you would have the opportunity to become a primary care nurse practitioner, taking on more responsibilities in the office, including the ability to diagnose patients and prescribe medication or treatment.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a nurse in 2008 was $62,450. This will greatly depend on your employer, geographic location, and years of experience, but most jobs will also include good benefits. The outlook for nursing is great. Even in uncertain economic times, the shortage of nurses in the healthcare sector only makes it a more secure choice. As a large number of nurses approach retirement age, and as the baby boomer population grows older, more and more nurses will be needed to enter the field, which led to the 22% growth rate prediction the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects for 2008-2018. In fact, they project that nurses working in the offices of physicians will grow at a rate of 48%.
The primary care nursing job can be the most stable and low stress, for those nurses seeking stability in their hours and who are not seeking to work trauma or in a specialized field. You will need to have strong personable skills and good office managerial skills in addition to good nursing skills. Take advantage of this industry growth and turn it into a stable career in nursing by finding the right nursing program and becoming an RN working as a primary care office nurse.