Can you specialize and still do other things?

THELIVINGWORST, ASN, RN · Dec 30, 2015

Since you don't specialize until you actually start working in the field, your question is moot. But after working in OB for a while you may indeed have trouble switching specialties.

Itsourchoices · Dec 30, 2015

Slinky is right. That's great that you know where you want to be! However, you may not be lucky enough to start in OB. Many nurses love the specialty fields, and some with many years of experience will have trouble landing the job. Will you be okay with working anywhere else until you can get there? You may just solve your own problem . Always keep good references; you may have trouble going from one specialty to another, but with great people to vouch for you, it will be a little easier.

Lapishsunsmile · Dec 30, 2015

I know I won't get there immediately. What I'm saying is what if I specialize and have a job but somehow lose that job like moving or something and then can't find another Obgyn job. Since I would be an official Obgyn nurse, could I still work in say a hospital or long term setting until I find something to suite my specialty.

llg, PhD, RN · Dec 30, 2015

I know I won't get there immediately. What I'm saying is what if I specialize and have a job but somehow lose that job like moving or something and then can't find another Obgyn job. Since I would be an official Obgyn nurse, could I still work in say a hospital or long term setting until I find something to suite my specialty.

Are you in the United States? If so, then your RN license will be a general RN license, just like everyone else's. In the US, all RN licenses are the same regardless of what specialty your job is in. So legally, there is no official reason a person can't switch specialties whenever they want. Special licenses are only for people in some advanced-practice roles requiring graduate degrees and special certifications. Staff nurses all have the same license as each other.

However, after working in one specialty for a long time, it can be difficult to switch because your knowledge of other specialties gets out of date and your skills in other areas become rusty.

Itsourchoices · Dec 30, 2015

I understand what you are saying, and meant no harsh words with my response so I apologize if that's how you saw it. What I am saying is, if you know you won't specialize immediately then there is no issue. You will have whatever experience prior to moving and can fall back on that, hopefully. An RN specialty isn't the same as say a physician. They may become specialized in oncology and that's what they do. As a nurse, you can get a specialty certification, but you are not limited to that. You can go anywhere. It will be hard if you've only ever done OB to be accepted elsewhere, but you can always try to get a medsurg job after moving and make your way back to OB again. Does that help?

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Dec 30, 2015

If you are in the U.S., you can specialize in different specialties; as a LPN I worked in Acute Rehab and Pediatric Private Duty Nursing; as a RN I have worked in Pediatric Post Acute, LTC and Pediatric Emergency; I also work with a co-worker who is a L&D nurse and a Pediatric ER nurse.

It is do able; however, there can be challenges as other posters contend; however, I am from the school of thought that most nursing skills and judgement transcend specialties.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Dec 31, 2015

I know I won't get there immediately. What I'm saying is what if I specialize and have a job but somehow lose that job like moving or something and then can't find another Obgyn job. Since I would be an official Obgyn nurse, could I still work in say a hospital or long term setting until I find something to suite my specialty.

What do you mean by "official OB-GYN nurse"? Even if you obtain specialty certification, your license will still be that of an RN. In the US, RNs are generalists. I have only ever worked in pediatrics but there's nothing stopping me from moving to the adult world (if Hell freezes over).

Lapishsunsmile · Dec 31, 2015

I understand what you are saying, and meant no harsh words with my response so I apologize if that's how you saw it. What I am saying is, if you know you won't specialize immediately then there is no issue. You will have whatever experience prior to moving and can fall back on that, hopefully. An RN specialty isn't the same as say a physician. They may become specialized in oncology and that's what they do. As a nurse, you can get a specialty certification, but you are not limited to that. You can go anywhere. It will be hard if you've only ever done OB to be accepted elsewhere, but you can always try to get a medsurg job after moving and make your way back to OB again. Does that help?

yes thank you this answers my question perfectly. No need to apologize, I just wasn't sure if you understood what I was asking.

Larry3373 · Dec 31, 2015

If you become an RN you can work wherever you want, as long as you can find someone willing to hire you. New grads work in med surg all the time, so why couldn't an OB trained nurse?

perfexion, ASN, RN · Jan 5, 2016

And I can't imagine you won't be able to find a job as an OB nurse if you move to another state. It's a high demand specialty (if you're experienced).

ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN · Jan 5, 2016

Once you have 2 years or so of OB experience, you will not have a hard time finding a job in OB anywhere. I would worry more about getting your first OB job. That is the hard part. Once you get that experience you are a hot commodity! My manager would love if an experienced OB nurse applied to our unit. We have hired nothing but new grads or nurses from other specialties (m/s, ER, ICU, etc) for the past year or two because no experienced OB nurses have applied.