Ambulatory Care Nurse

As a specialty nursing practice, ambulatory care is a field of nursing that focuses on short-term treatments and long-term implications. Generally speaking, ambulatory care nurses carry out a series of tasks, ranging from clinical responsibilities to education and research projects. The patients they work with can either be seeking treatment for an acute illness or its symptoms, or they can have goals pertaining to health improvement or health maintenance. One area in which ambulatory nurses have a profound impact on people's lives is through health promotion; by working with patients of various ages, races, and socioeconomic statuses, ambulatory care nurses challenge themselves with a diverse set of tasks each and every day.

The setting in which ambulatory care nurses provide patient care can vary dramatically. Some ambulatory nurses work in clinical settings or doctors' offices. Others work remotely, using technology to maintain contact with a patient through telephone or face-to-face video chats. Some ambulatory nurses travel to patients' homes to provide care, while others work within their community, offering healthcare services from a place of employment, school, or other sizeable facility. The goal of the ambulatory nurse is to improve a patient's overall health, above and beyond treating what is immediately wrong with them. This is done through educational programs, public relations campaigns, and the promotion of cost-effective ways that patients can have a positive impact on their level of health.