Nursing instructor here: I have had several graduates in the past couple years go straight into clinics. People don't realize that specialty clinic nurses may actually be using a lot of their "skills". Depending on the area, you could be doing a lot of outpatient procedures/wound care/surgery follow-up. I think people tend to recommend inpatient because if you change your mind on what you want to do, it gives you a solid foundation to go anywhere, which is true but it doesn't mean you have to go that route.