Choosing a specialty- should I wait longer

[heartsgal, ADN, RN]

I am 14 months out of nursing school, worked 5 1/2 months in a SNF and have worked on an acute care inpatient rehab unit now 3 months. Being middle aged I feel like I should be choosing a specialty soon, but I'm simply not sure what that is at this point. I know the areas I don't want such as the ER, NICU, peds or to stay in rehab, as much I love my patients and being a nurse. I am also going to attend a nursing conference within the next 3 months and can't decide between Med Surg or an OB Gyn conference. I need the CEU's regardless and am very interested in postpartum, mother baby care, but also considering orthopedics. Is it just too early in my career to decide without enough exposure to these other areas? I know I'm putting this pressure on myself, but at almost 50 feel as though I should know by now what specialty I want to work in and don't want to be left behind so to speak.

[mvm2]

I think you should not let your age be such a factor in your decision on what your specialty should be. You've done so much work getting to where you are right now I don't think something like choosing your specialty should be done in such haste. I think it is wise to just let nature take it's course and go to these confrences and make a decision from the facts you get. Let your heart guide you to where your passion will be and if it takes another year so be it. I'd rather you find that perfect job that you love next year then a job you get in 2 months, and you are miserable because you did it in haste and it was not the one for you.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

I think specialties find people, people don't find specialties. Try to work in a variety of areas. Offer to float. I always I wanted to work anywhere but med/surg and floated in just about all areas of a hospital. Do you know where my final stop was? Back in med/surg. I find it interesting and I am always challenged. Never in a million years did I think I was going to have med/surg be my specialty.

[heartsgal, ADN, RN]

I think you should not let your age be such a factor in your decision on what your specialty should be. You've done so much work getting to where you are right now I don't think something like choosing your specialty should be done in such haste. I think it is wise to just let nature take it's course and go to these confrences and make a decision from the facts you get. Let your heart guide you to where your passion will be and if it takes another year so be it. I'd rather you find that perfect job that you love next year then a job you get in 2 months, and you are miserable because you did it in haste and it was not the one for you.

Thank you for that wise advice. I guess being almost 50 has me feeling like I need to hurry since I simply don't have 30 years for a career. So I think I will go to the m/s conference and learn as much as I can and enjoy myself. Thank you :)

[heartsgal, ADN, RN]

I think specialties find people, people don't find specialties. Try to work in a variety of areas. Offer to float. I always I wanted to work anywhere but med/surg and floated in just about all areas of a hospital. Do you know where my final stop was? Back in med/surg. I find it interesting and I am always challenged. Never in a million years did I think I was going to have med/surg be my specialty.

Thank you for the advice and it's funny that you mention floating because this week I go on the float list and will likely be floated to m/s neuro/ tele tomorrow, because our census has been very low and I'm at the top of the list. I am nervous because I don't remember squat about tele from school, but also pretty excited to broaden my horizons Unfortunately I don't think my hospital allows floating to women's services and I'm not sure how to get that information without giving away the fact that I don't want to stay on the rehab unit long term.

[nikkole318]

Definitely don't let your age be a factor! Nursing was a second career for me, so I understand how you feel, but think of how long you will be working before you can retire. You might as well be happy during those years. I agree that sometimes a specialty will find you. When I was in nursing school, I thought it would be cool to work in an ER. Well, I floated to the ER and I found out that I HATE it there! I actually ended up in ICU, where I never thought I would work. I definitely recommend floating and just learning as much as you can. Acute in-patient rehab is very similar to Med-Surg, so I would go to the Ob-Gyn conference.

As far as ortho...I have worked in 2 heathcare systems and both have eliminated their ortho floors. People have their surgeries done as outpatients and hospital stays are shorter and shorter. With the current health care environment, I just don't see many opportunities in ortho in the future. In both the systems where I have worked, the ortho patients are kind of mixed in with the Tele and Med-Surg patients.

[heartsgal, ADN, RN]

I was thinking along the same lines with ortho, because I know my faculty doesn't have an designated ortho floor. I wish I could float to the post partum unit. I only went there twice during clinicals, but wasn't the mother baby couplet care I think I would really like. Thanks for the encouraging words :)