Is Primary Care Nursing Right for You?
If you enjoy making long-term relationships with patients, offering preventative care, and working regular hours, primary care nursing might be a great fit. Nurses in this setting can become a trusted part of their patients’ lives, sometimes caring for the same patients over years or even decades. Learn more about the qualifications for this role and how to get started as a primary care nurse.
When you think of the old-fashioned family physician who cared for patients from birth to death, you’re thinking of primary care. Designed to be the first point of contact in the healthcare system, primary care is where people go for routine care needs, referrals to specialists, and health education. And while the specialty has grown more complex, it’s still a hub for essential preventative medicine.
It might not be as fast-paced as working in the emergency department or intensive care, but access to primary care is associated with a higher life expectancy increase than any other specialty. Nurses working in this area play an essential role in the cornerstone of medicine.
Primary care can go by a few different names:
- Family medicine: Care for patients of all ages, focusing on comprehensive, long-term care for individuals and families.
- Internal medicine: Specialize in adult care, especially managing chronic and complex health conditions.
- Pediatric primary care: Focus on the physical and developmental health of infants, children, and teens.
- Geriatric primary care: Provide specialized care for older adults, addressing age-related conditions and quality of life.
- Women’s health/OB-GYN primary care: Focus on reproductive and sexual health for women.
- Community health clinics and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs): Deliver affordable, full-spectrum primary care to underserved populations, often with added social services.
What Is Primary Care Nursing?
Nurses in this setting are often the first point of contact for patients, playing a central role in health education and care coordination. Unlike hospital-based nurses, primary care nurses are focused on preventative care, so their work is closely linked to lower rates of illness and mortality across populations. If you’re interested in health across the lifespan, consider primary care nursing.
Examples of responsibilities you’ll likely encounter in this role include:
- Administering vaccines and documenting immunization records.
- Assisting with routine physical exams and health screenings.
- Performing vital signs, weight checks, and vision/hearing tests.
- Conducting patient triage for same-day sick visits.
- Managing telephone and in-person patient questions and concerns.
- Drawing blood and collecting lab specimens for routine tests.
- Providing patient education on medications, disease management, and preventative health.
- Preparing exam rooms and assisting providers during minor procedures.
- Updating electronic health records (EHRs) with current patient data.
- Coordinating referrals to specialists and follow-up care.
Potential Benefits and Drawbacks of Working in Primary Care
What you like and dislike about this role will depend on your preferences and personality. See the potential advantages and disadvantages below:
Benefits:
- There’s potential for building long-term relationships with patients and families.
- Daytime hours and a more predictable schedule may allow for a better work-life balance.
- You may get to see the impact of your work in the long term.
- You can work closely with physicians, social workers, primary care nurse practitioners, and other professionals.
Drawbacks:
- Administrative tasks can stack up, and while your patients’ needs are less critical than in emergency and critical care departments, you may see dozens of patients in a day.
- These settings offer fewer clinical procedures, so you may feel like some of your skills aren’t being used.
- Navigating prior authorizations, referral systems, and coverage issues can be frustrating.
How to Become a Primary Care Nurse: 4 Steps
Primary care nurses may be licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or registered nurses (RNs). Learn more about the difference between LPNs and RNs, and check out the steps to enter this field below.
Step 1: Complete Nursing School
First, you’ll need to complete an accredited prelicensure training program. LPNs complete a diploma program oriented around practical nursing skills, which typically takes about a year. This is a great track if you want to start working faster, but it may limit your career options in the long run. RNs need either a two-year Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Learn about the difference between ADN and BSN degrees.
Whichever path you choose, you can expect a combination of challenging didactic coursework, labs, and clinical experience. You’ll have classes in anatomy and physiology, sociology, pathophysiology, and much more. Being a nursing student can be stressful, but with the right study habits, you can succeed.
Step 2: Pass the National Council Licensure Exam
After you complete your nursing program, you’ll need to apply for and pass the NCLEX exam corresponding to your training. This adaptive exam is designed to determine whether you have the clinical knowledge to care for patients at the entry level. Learn more about preparing for the NCLEX.
Depending on your state, you may also need to go through an additional licensure application process. This is typically done as you’re applying for the NCLEX or directly after you pass the exam, and includes submitting your transcripts, a background check, and other forms.
Step 3: Gain Primary Care Experience
Depending on the staffing needs where you live, it may be possible to find outpatient RN jobs and outpatient LPN jobs as a new graduate nurse. Look for opportunities in clinics, family medicine offices, or community health centers.
On the other hand, many new nurses start their careers in acute care units, such as med-surg or oncology, to gain experience with sicker patients. A new grad residency program may be a great entry point as you navigate the transition from student to professional clinician. And many post-acute facilities hire new nurses as well.
Primary Care Nurse Salary Averages
Registered nurses who work in outpatient care settings earn an average salary of $107,650 per year. In contrast, LPNs in outpatient care earn an average of $69,630 annually. What you earn as a nurse depends on several factors — your degree, years of experience, certifications, and work setting, to name a few.
Location is a major factor in determining what you make as a nurse. If you’re open to a move, consider nursing roles in the states with some of the highest incomes for RNs:
Primary Care Nursing FAQ
What is the primary care nursing model?
This model takes the consistency and relationship-building benefits of primary care and applies a similar approach to inpatient and community care programs. Rather than rotating clinician contacts, the primary care nursing model assigns a patient a single nurse for their entire stay. This nurse may supervise or delegate care to others, but they are the primary point of contact and advocate for the patient and their family. The model has been linked to improved health outcomes in patients, but it has yet to find widespread adoption.
Can an RN be a primary care physician?
No, an RN has a smaller scope of practice than a physician and cannot diagnose, prescribe, or order tests. However, an RN with additional training can become a nurse practitioner, and these clinicians have many of the same responsibilities as a physician in primary care. But the two professionals are not interchangeable, with different scopes of practice and schooling requirements.
How many hours do primary care nurses work?
The answer depends on whether the nurse is part-time, full-time, contract, PRN, or has another schedule arrangement. Many full-time nurses work between 36 and 40 hours per week.
Find Primary Care Nursing Roles
If you’re a nursing professional looking for something new, you’ve come to the right place. IntelyCare helps nurses find fresh opportunities. Get access to personalized job notifications to learn more.