Choosing a Specialty

Nurses General Nursing

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How did you guys choose what type of nursing you wanted to go into? Did you figure it out while you were in nursing school, or did you just specialize in whatever you took your first job in? Is it difficult landing a first job as a nurse? I have so many questions!!!

Least amount of work for the most pay.

I still like Med Surg, where I started.

I like Occupational Health the best. I also had a great work experience there, staff wise and NM wise.

I went there for the hours, so it was kind of by accident that it was what got me going.

Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I have a long personal history of orthopedic issues and my first job was in a LTC rehab unit. Fell in love with it. Now I work on an ortho unit, mostly total joints. Thought I wanted other specialties, I thought, but I needed a job more and it turned into the best thing for me.

The hospital that paid for my schooling had openings in several areas when I graduated: SICU (regional trauma center), neuro ICU, med-surg, or general peds. I knew I wasn't going to do well in an ICU right out of school (some people swear by GN internships in ICU--me, I never recommend them, I have always believed you need some experience before you go to ICU), and I knew the med-surg floor was a zoo, so I went to peds. I have always liked kids, and they really seem to like me, too! It was a good fit.

I take care of adults now, but my first love will always be the kiddies!

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I have always followed my heart on that question -- chose the type of work of wanted to do so that I would never be miserable in a job or feel like I was "only doing it for the money." Then I found ways to make things work for me to have a decent personal life around that specialty.

I started out in NICU ... then after many years, evolved into being a Nursing Professional Development Specialist.

I didn't really have a direction when graduating. I started in med-surg. It was a day/night rotating job (I didn't want to work 3-11), the hospital was familiar, and they were willing to hire me at a time when jobs were scarce.

My next move was to escape med-surg. I originally wanted OR, because there are no call bells in OR, but the nurse recruiter offered me ICU instead with the option for transfer in the future.

I still work ICU. Maybe when I need a change, OR will still be there.

Is it more difficult to get into some specialties rather and others? I always thought I would love to work in Labor and Delivery and eventually become a Women's Health NP or work in ER. I know those are both very different, but those are where my mind tends to take me haha

Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

I know several ER nurses who have been denied the chance to train in L & D. I think some specialties it's hard to break out into others. At least in the west. ER and ICU keeps you in those areas, maybe to cath lab/pacu.

Specializes in ER, Med-surg.

Before nursing school, I thought I would like ER and was terrified of peds.

I wound up loving my peds clinicals and did my preceptorship in the PICU, but when I graduated, I took the new grad job on offer and was glad to get it, which was med-surg. After a few years of that, I switched to ER and I do, after all, love that. I still think I'd enjoy pediatrics but it's a tough area to get in to- relatively few positions and it seems like a specialty where many people stay there for life. I float to the peds ED and take care of seriously sick kiddos in trauma/psych sometimes in the adult ED, but it's not the same as having a full orientation on a pediatric unit. Maybe someday I'll make the switch.

Nursing does have a lot of flexibility once you have some experience but for a new grad, depending on where you live, it can be tough to get a foot in the door. And the opportunities that come your way are often a matter of timing and flexibility- you have many more options if you're willing and able to move for a job than if you're stuck in one place.

Specializes in Critical Care.

I've been a nurse for about a year an a half. In my area it was difficult to land your first job. Even nursing homes didn't call me back. I took the first position that could find: pediatric private duty nursing.

I didn't want to do pediatrics or private duty/ home health nursing, but I wound up liking this position most days. The difficult part for me was that I desired for something challenging. Working with the same kid everyday made me feel more or less like a glorified babysitter. The learning opportunities were pretty limited.

It was experience and pay though, and I kept hunting while I worked there. My work and patience paid off, and I landed my dream position: Cardiac ICU. I had to relocate, but it was worth it. I'm at a large teaching hospital now and I'm learning so much.

Like most students I wanted to do something specialized and highly sought after: ICU, ER, NICU, Trauma, ect. It's hard but possible. My hospital is begging for L&D nurses and have new grad programs.

I guess you just never know what specialty you are going to fall in love with!

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