Lowest stress (still great pay) nursing specialties?

Hello all,

This is my first post here so bear with me. I am a current RN student and while my main focus right now is finishing the program I am nevertheless interested in finding out more about different specialties from nurses who have been there.

I have yet to decide on a nursing specialty for sure. To be honest money is a big motivator for me..but a post I read from forum member THE COMMUTER really struck me as exaclty how I feel. It stated id rather love my personal life and tolerate my job than tolerate my life and love my job. By this I mean im never going to enjoy work, I mostly enjoy traveling, exploring , cars..etc..(hence money motivated).

So begs the question...what nursing specialty out of the seemingly hundreds...would be very low stress on a daily basis and very good pay ( even if masters level as I have considered the NP route after RN school).

Any suggestions? ( I know im kinda asking for the best of both worlds here but im looking for things closest to what I seek). Thanks in advance everyone.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

Suezee2 said:

I would first get a few years experience on a med/surf floor .

I would love to work on a med/surf floor

[divobari]

Maybe try being a flu clinic. Yes, we should all strive for a great work-life balance. I do NOT believe that nursing is a calling, but you have to be committed to going above and beyond protocol. If I listened to what is misinterpreted as a "calling", I would actually not be a nurse, particularly because I am a heterosexual male. That's an old school mentality because nursing was historically an extension of a religious origin, which founded many of the hospitals across the country and were run by nuns(which is a calling all within itself).

I am NOT a fan of "in it for the pay"(it is your life, so please keep the mentality.) types because it typically reflects in their work and interaction with colleagues and more importantly, patient care. This creates a less than optimal working atmosphere for all stakeholders. I believe that this is part of the problem with the field and it is not limited to nursing.

Get a job and approach it objectively - you may end up loving it more than you ever imagined...

[KellyBeeRN]

First of all, there are no low stress nursing jobs and I've had quite a variety. The position I've settled into and can see myself doing forvever is mother/ baby/nursery. As with all things, to each there own and it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea, however I LOVE, my job, my hours and my pay. My job affords me the perfect home/work balance and consider myself very lucky.

[Bezoars]

FWIW, I do NICU and love it. It's not always low stress but a lot of the time it is. Also, don't pay attention to the student-haters here. Cue the "NETY" threads.

[LadysSolo]

As some have said, it depends on you. Some love OB/PEDS, and I personally detest OB/PEDS. I happen to love hematology/oncology, but many can't stand it. It's a bit stressful, but it is my niche. You have to find what works for you. For me, too easy is BORING and I hate to be bored. For me the perfect shift is a steady pace, but some people love to run the whole time (we call them ER nurses.) YMMV

[AutumnApple]

divobari said:

Maybe try being a flu clinic. Yes, we should all strive for a great work-life balance. I do NOT believe that nursing is a calling, but you have to be committed to going above and beyond protocol. If I listened to what is misinterpreted as a "calling", I would actually not be a nurse, particularly because I am a heterosexual male. That's an old school mentality because nursing was historically an extension of a religious origin, which founded many of the hospitals across the country and were run by nuns(which is a calling all within itself).

I am NOT a fan of "in it for the pay"(it is your life, so please keep the mentality.) types because it typically reflects in their work and interaction with colleagues and more importantly, patient care. This creates a less than optimal working atmosphere for all stakeholders. I believe that this is part of the problem with the field and it is not limited to nursing.

Get a job and approach it objectively - you may end up loving it more than you ever imagined...

Are you aware that historically nursing was a male role? Women who tried to do anything with patients were punished.

It being female dominated, something done by nuns in churches, came much later.

[Aliens05, ASN]

Thanks I rlly appreciate so many perspectives and everything.

I guess one reason for me specifically that low stress is important is that I have some health issues. I am a 30 year old guy but Ive been in the ER 3 times in the last year. Still not sure what the issue is. I think most of it is anxiety ( according to ER doctor) mixed with irregular heart beat and PVCs ( benign according to my cardiologist who told me its absolutely ok to max out my heart even with these issues).

Low stress is important personally for my own health. Thanks again for the replies.

[EAE RN]

You need to build your nursing skills, critical thinking before you decide on a specialty. Every job has some stress. If you're doing nursing for high pay and low stress, you need to have some experience under your belt. However, I hope that you keep one thing as your priority-your patients!

[SaggieRN87, BSN]

Not to be discouraging and I don't if it has been said already (I didn't read the subsequent posts); however, I have yet to hear of nursing specialty "with very low stress on a daily basis with good pay" without additional training or education. Also, I would argue that every nursing specialty, at times, will have levels of high stress. For instance, my friend is a licensed healthcare communicator. Her job requires no direct patient contact, but her job can be very tedious and her base salary is low compared to those who work in direct patient care. Also, she is concerned about the marketability of her skills and is really trying to get direct patient care experience. However, you might want to consider it. Home health is another possibility, but I wouldn't recommend it for a new nurse. Additional food for thought: You mentioned becoming a NP in your post; however, I would like to point out that most graduate nursing schools requires years of experience in specialties that aren't necessarily "low stress on a daily basis" as a prerequisite. Good luck to you with whatever you choose.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

caffeinatednurse said:

I was thinking the same thing.

I could never be a correctional nurse.

I would have said that myself at one time. But a good friend of mine left the ICU for Corrections, and she loves it. The patients have to be respectful of the nurse or there are consequences. And there are none of those drunk/nasty/entitled visitors.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Bezoars said:

FWIW, I do NICU and love it. It's not always low stress but a lot of the time it is. Also, don't pay attention to the student-haters here. Cue the "NETY" threads.

I haven't seen any student haters on this thread, and yes, I HAVE read the whole thread.

[Nursebarebari]

Let me know when you find that job pl.