How many specialties can a nurse have?

[TiaFoot]

Hi I'm a senior in high school considering a career in nursing but sometimes people come and ask me why I didn't choose to go for pre-med. One reason why I wanted to go into nursing rather than pre-med is because as a doctor you can only choose one specialty but I heard nurses can switch between specialties such as neuro, cardio, pediatrics, etc. Is that true? I feel like as a nurse you have a wide range of knowledge and skills because you're always moving around between departments and there's always an opportunity to learn and do something new. On the other hand, although being a doctor requires more education, they only need to focus within their specialty. The reason I'm asking this is because I don't like routine and I want something new and surprising everyday and I like variety.

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

Yes, it is very possible (and very common) for nurses to work in a variety of specialties, and due to the length/depth of education, it isn't as common for physicians. It is also possible for nurses to work in one area of the field their entire career and never move. Some people enjoy the newness and challenge of changing specialties with some regularity, and others tend to find a niche and stick with it. Others will take jobs simply because they need one, so the one they take may not be in the specialty they want, but it'll pay the bills until an opening comes along.

[direw0lf, BSN]

The question of "why don't you do premed or pa" will follow you into college and maybe after graduation. Being asked used to bother me, like cause me to feel bad about my choice, like I could have done "better" is what the question implies. But remember Eleanor Roosevelt who said "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" and I chose this profession for many reasons like the holistic nursing model and the variety of specialties, like you.