The outpatient world

My first NP job started out with learning the inpatient side of bone marrow transplant, but now, I am transitioning to the outpatient side and follow-up after the hospital. It is very different from inpatient. I came from inpatient bedside nursing and now learning how to care for these patients after transplant is a LOT! I never had to really think about timelines and making sure all follow-up testing/labs/tapering medications are done at the right time. I have really relied on my preceptor for questions and support. I have so many notes saved in my email with the most important things to remember and it has been a lifesaver. The nurses are amazing and so helpful with my questions about how to order medications and labs.

I have learned so much but I really enjoy the new flow of my job. It's so similar yet so different from anything I have done before. I am learning how to do procedures and make decisions on patient care. I like the responsibility and teaching that comes with the job. There are so many questions that the patients have that I am also learning answers to and building my own knowledge. I love seeing the patients as they are feeling better and recovering. It is almost like raising a child. You take care of them when they are sick and freshly out of transplant then watch them grow up, heal, and eventually, you send them back to their primary oncologist. It is wonderful to see how great they feel afterward and oftentimes, they will come back and visit just to say hello and show their appreciation for what everyone has done for them. They get a new life and it is awesome to see how well they do and how they are living their lives to the fullest.

I really never thought that I would like outpatient as much as I do. It’s a refreshing change of pace and scenery from working in a hospital. Sometimes, trying something new will actually turn out better than you imagined. So, if you are thinking about doing something different, go for it! You may find out that you like it. But on the off chance that you don’t, you can at least say that you’ve tried it and it will help you really figure out what you are meant to do.