Can you have two specialties? As in, ER and psych?

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Hello! I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right spot, but I just have a question for the nurses out there. :nurse:

I just left LPN school to go to RN school (long story!) So, while I do have time to figure this out, I am just curious.. can you have two specialties? I have known for awhile working in the emergency room is where I want to go. I've volunteered there, etc. and know it is for me- the high-paced work, the critical cases, etc. Also, I just love love love medicine/learning about the human body and getting to see such varied cases and working in that setting would suit me best.

However, in the back of my mind, I can't help but think psych nursing would be incredibly fascinating also! I would worry that I would lose alot of the skills if I just worked psych.. like if I ever decided to leave psych and go to ER or ICU or the like, I wouldn't remember the things I had learned in nursing school that applied to those areas.. that my mentality would be switched from "body" nursing to "mind" nursing, if that makes sense. At all. :imbar

So my question is just this- do any of you work two specialities? I don't mean float.. I mean on a permanent basis, you have two types that you love and can't choose between.. Like maybe I could work PT ER/ PT psych? Or FT ER/ Per Diem psych? I already know ER is my future home, and I wouldn't want to leave it for anything- but will knowing that keep me from getting to try out psych (besides clinicals)?

Like I said, I'm just curious. :wink2: Thank you for your time. :wink2:

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You mean there's a difference between ER and Psych? :chuckle

Seriously, while you many not be able to land jobs in both right out of school, I see no reason why you couldn't eventually work PT in both fields.

The sticky part may be getting benefits from either employer, as part time often comes w/o.

Of course, depending on your stamina, you would work FT in one and PT in the other.

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Specializes in Surgery, Tele, OB, Peds,ED-True Float RN.

You could also work in a hospital that has both and float between them. I worked surgery for 5 years and then trained for L&D (which I love). My hospital wanted an experienced float nurse to train for the ER. So here I go again... orientating to the ER! I worked very hard for the L&D experience and still work there A LOT! I completed many courses and sought out as many experiences as possible. And now I am doing the same for the ER. It takes a little longer to get confident in several areas, but I think the 5 years in med/surg gave me the best foundation for both specialties!

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Many hospitals have a dedicated 'psych ER'. This way you could do both....

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Specializes in ER.

I would focus on getting through school first. I thought I wanted to do OB before I started clinicals. I absolutely despised OB/peds when I was on the floor. Looking in as a student nurse is much different than looking in as an RN. That said, if you truly want ER pursue that first. You can always go to psych later but it may be much more difficult to more from psych to the ER than vice versa.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

Yes. I did NICU and ICU. I loved--and continue to love both. Went to PACU for the better schedule. LOVE that too.

*sigh*

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Specializes in ER, IV Access Therapies, PACU, Infusion.

You can do any and all things in nursing, what ever floats you're boat. Working in ER is working in psych, you need all skills for ER. Nursing is a hard job but it can be a very rewarding job if you do what you love. I have worked everywhere, love all clinical aspects but not interested in management or paper pushing.

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Specializes in ..

Why don't you get through school, get the whole picture and some knowledge and experience on your clinicals and then worry about it?

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I'll echo what the others have said. Psych patients are everywhere. There are plenty of areas with high concentrations of patients with psych issues(if you include addictions).

After a couple of years in ER, you can decide if you want to do more specialized work with psych patients.

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Why don't you get through school, get the whole picture and some knowledge and experience on your clinicals and then worry about it?

You are rude. She was just wondering. There is nothing wrong with that.

To the OP: in my OR there were many OR nurses who also worked L&D.

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Specializes in ICU, nutrition.

I worked part-time at two different hospitals, one as a critical care float, the other in surgical ICU.

I got tired of the critical care float job but there wasn't a particular unit at that hospital I wanted to work exclusively in (plus there were no day shift openings) so I started looking for another part-time position within the facility.

I eventually ended up doing nutrition support nursing and I worked part-time there and part-time in SICU for about 2 years. Then I was offered a full time position at my nutrition support job, so I cut my hours in SICU to PRN.

Eventually the drama and problems in my SICU sucked the life out of me so I quit, but for about 3.5 years I had two specialities.

As far as losing skills goes, yes, if you don't use them, you will lose them. If you were to go from say, OR to ER, you would probably need to brush up on IV and assessment skills, but you could place a foley like a champ. If you went from psych to a nursing unit, you would need to refresh almost all of your "physical" nursing skills because you just don't use them in psych.

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