Future Specialty Speculations: L&D vs Wound Care

[CaliforniaPoppy]

Hi Everybody,

I have just started second year of my RN program (semester 3 of 4); and I am already finding more and more people asking if I have any idea what specialty I might be interested in, for the future. This is quite often coming from other medical professionals, not just friends & family. So the discussions are raging with my classmates, and more questions keep popping up (hooray for google!).

I would really love to get feedback from nurses who are already out there about my two top choices, as they may compare to each other. I've researched, and have objective data piling up, but it doesn't really address the more human side of it. Or offer comparisons between the two, as choices.

So, would anyone like to chime in with their experiences/thoughts/opinions about Labor and Delivery nursing vs Wound Care as a specialty? Flexibility for job options? Relative pay? Work environment and co-workers? The hundreds of other qualities that I am probably not even considering?

For my personal background: I am an older student, so I anticipate 20 years or so in the field rather than 40; I was trained as a doula and childbirth educator (and worked/volunteered as both over the years) 20+ years ago; EMT training & volunteer experience; three sons (seriously - that is wound care experience!!); shadowing the floor wound care specialist whenever I get the chance and loving it.

If I were in my 20s rather than 40s I probably would decide on one with the idea that maybe in 10 years or so I could explore the other when I was ready for a change...not sure I have quite that kind of time anymore. So I am giving very serious thought to my options before graduation.

Thanks for any help, and I look forward to hearing everyone's stories! The tales I have read on this site have already helped me a great deal over the past few years, getting to this point in my education.