Do you prefer any fields over the other in nursing?

[Grobyc82]

Hello, RN with 10 years experience at the bedside in telemetry care. Over the years I have seen nurses come and go into different floors, different hospitals and even different careers all together.

Do you guys prefer any particular floors over another? Like would you prefer the ICU over say ER or do you prefer med/surg over OR, vice versa? I guess it does depend on your personality and whether you prefer a dynamic fast pace environment that keeps you on your toes like the ER, or something more routine and controlled like the OR/Surgi center.

What are your guys thoughts?

[Agatha12]

I like surgery and urology.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

There are specialties which I will consider work into only if alternative would be sleeping on streets and begging for food. I know my personality good enough and just know that in no role I would fit into something strictly limited, well structured, too controlled and generally conveyor-belt like. Plus, I had some past experiences which I would prefer not to remember too much, and I do not share some of modern scientific views because, INH(umble)O, there is no enough evidence to make them proven beyond reasonable doubts. So, I would never, unless in dire need, consider anything close to OB, OR, Psychiatry or Pain management (except holistic).

There are also things I like in my provider role but not as bedside RN. As a provider, I find geriatrics fascinating and challenging field and love acute rehab and even the majority of nursing homes. But I won't even think about working in any of them as an RN. Too much limits, too little action.

IMHO, it is one of the biggest challenges for every nurse to figure out which area and practice setting would be the best fit for his/her personality, preferences and interests. It is not a simple question, and it may take years to answer. Not that nursing is an only area of human occupation which presents this problem but in medical field the choice is too frequently made virtually as a blind shot, and a miss leads to a whole lot of problems.

[SaltySarcasticSally, LPN, RN]

I did Tele for 7 months but I floated frequently to other MS floors like onc, ortho, etc. Tele was the worst floor by far just for the record.

I've been in the ER for a month now. I would only go back to an inpatient floor if the alternative meant my kids would starve. I found I loathed having the same 5-6 patients for over 12 hours every single shift.

[GE90]

paediatric, definitely paediatric....

can't stand all the whining adults who think the world owes them everything and we are responsible for cleaning up all their messes from their doggy lifestyle...(not saying you don't have parents like that in paeds though)