How did you decide on your specialty?

SquishyRN, BSN, RN · Jan 3, 2015

The specialties I've chosen have been the specialties that hired me While you may have a dream specialty (or specialties), keep an open mind. The job market for new grads has been dismal since 2008, so be cognizant that you may have to get a job in a less desirable specialty before moving into one you want after you get some experience under your belt. That's not necessarily a bad thing, you get to truly learn what you like and don't like, and even then you may change your mind. I always told myself I would never do ER. I wanted to do ICU, but the opportunity I was presented at the hospital I wanted to work in was in ER. Turns out ER isn't what I thought it would be and I actually like it. Even still, I haven't had a "magical moment." I don't think I ever will either. There are specialties that I like and don't like, but I don't see myself ever pigeonholing myself into just one.

817nurse · Jan 3, 2015

Well-mother/baby postpartum nursing was my dream when I was a nursing student, but reality dictated that I had to take a job in a specialty that would actually hire me. Fast forward a few years and I am working as a school nurse.

mikethemurse, BSN, RN · Jan 3, 2015

I fell into corrections about 6 yrs ago, never learned a thing about it in school but use everthing and then some in this field...my advise is 1. find a job, 2. as stated above be open sometimes you will love something you never even thought about. Good luck!

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jan 3, 2015

I never set myself on a specialty; the specialties that I worked in found me. :)

I've worked in Rehabilitation Nursing, Home Health, LTC, Peds, Ambulatory Nursing, Step-down and even dabbled in critical care; also dabbled in nursing informatics; sometimes two specialties at once. I have also moved up and been in leadership positions as well. I'm about to move into Emergency Nursing in the next month. I have enjoyed each exposure in each specialty because it all came down to my nursing practice; each specialty helped solidify my clinical nursing judgment; I can honestly say nursing practice transcends specialties and one can have a solid nursing judgement to enjoy any specialty they find themselves in; there may not be a magical "a-ha" moment where there will be a "fit"; that's the beauty-and adventure-of our business!

SweenyG · Jan 4, 2015

I already worked with the geriatric population as an LPN, and even though I liked it, when I got my BSN, I wanted to try something different. Fast forward six months, I finally got a job-- at a hospital geriatric acute care unit. Given my past experience, I probably could have gotten this job earlier, but resisted and tried for other units. I wish I could have gotten a job quicker, but if I applied for this unit and got it earlier, I probably would be wondering if I took it too soon. My takeaway is that I ended up where I was meant to be.

LilRedRN1973 · Jan 4, 2015

I started out with my heart set on critical care as I wanted to eventually go back to school to obtain my CRNA. I worked in the ICU from my second semester of nursing school until about 3 years after graduation. Ended up changing to an outpatient psychiatric clinic (the hours were great for my kids - Monday through Friday 7:30 to 4:30 with a nice lunch hour). Did that for 4 years and now I am in Corrections, the very place my husband had been telling me to go for years. It came with a $30,000 pay raise and I actually enjoy working in the prison setting. But if you would have told me 8-10 years ago that I would be working in Corrections, I would have laughed my butt off. I never saw myself working here or anywhere within the psych field. In nursing school, I thought psych nursing was where old nurses went to die. How wrong I was and how much I love it. It's frustrating at times, especially dealing with patients/inmates who have Borderline Personality Disorder but I love the challenge. I can see myself staying here and plan on eventually promoting to the DON position that will be vacant in the next 3-5 years.