Perspectives in Ambulatory Care Nursing

Nurses and nursing students are faced with the reality that health care systems are being redesigned due to growing economic pressures, and the nursing role is changing as a result. Payers are increasingly focused on preventive and primary care, and nursing as the largest group of healthcare providers is well suited to manage the one billion outpatient visits anticipated a year. As healthcare is moving out of the hospital, Perspectives in Ambulatory Care Nursing orients readers to ambulatory care nursing and offers the expert perspective on the issues and trends specific to this specialty. It explains the significant role that ambulatory care plays in healthcare delivery in the United States. It highlights the great but often poorly-recognized impact that nurses have in this field and will have even more so in the future.

Perspectives in Ambulatory Care Nursing addresses the changing Landscape of Healthcare in the U.S. The resource begins with an overview of nursing outside of the hospital and how it has evolved. The social and political forces that have increased the need for nurses in primary care will be outlined for the reader. The text will cover the different roles played by members of the healthcare team, describe standards of excellence for nursing, and describe ways that nurses can use research and data both to change practice and to demonstrate the impact of nursing.

The text functions as a primer to Ambulatory Care Nursing. It introduces readers, both nurses switching from acute care positions to an ambulatory care setting as well as nursing students, to the specialty. It allows practicing Ambulatory Care Nurses stay abreast of the quickly evolving specialty. The text clearly outlines the elements of ambulatory care nursing that distinguish it from acute care nursing. Telehealth and care coordination/transition management are featured, as is the involvement of clients and families in health management. Perspectives in Ambulatory Care Nursing also exposes readers to the wide variety of Ambulatory Care settings and roles.

Finally, authors Coburn, Gilland, and Swan reflect on education and practice changes that will continue to change the face of nursing and refine the specialty of ambulatory care.

Our accompanying resources on thePoint offer additional opportunities for readers to acquire additional knowledge about Ambulatory care through journal articles. By using our case studies and associated critical thinking questions, readers discover the real-life application to the concepts they are learning. Our instructor resource package—with PowerPoint presentations, a syllabus, an Instructor’s Manual, and an Instructor Test Bank—supports programs with Ambulatory Care courses and programs that thread ambulatory care across multiple courses.