MSN in what specialty?

[rngrad2009]

As I come closer to my BSN graduation date, I start to wonder what do I study next? I want to continue my nursing path and attend graduate school, yet I'm not sure what I want to major in. The school I attend now has a graduate program, yet it is only for Nurse Education and Administration. I'm really not interested in studying either one. I actually enjoy being hands on. So, for those of you who are/was currently in a MSN program, how did you come to the decision of which specialty to study? I personally enjoy Forensics, but am not sure what jobs are out there in that field. I really would like to obtain my CRNA, yet I can not commit to the fulltime study. I'm a single mom who needs to work.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

I finished my RN in 2008, BSN in 2010. I didn't jump right into an MSN program because I was like you -- unsure of which "flavor" I'd like. I finally decided to go with an MSN in Education because it's pretty versatile, and I can do a post-Masters if I decide to ever go the NP route (which is what a lot of people were encouraging me to do, but frankly it doesn't appeal to me personally).

I'm going to move this thread over to the post-grad forum, by the way, vs. the GN forum. Congrats on the upcoming BSN!! :)

[llg, PhD, RN]

Deciding on a specialty is a lot like buying clothes -- you need to find the right "fit" for you. The only way to know for sure what is right for you is to go into the dressing room and try them on.

That means working a little and finding out what it is really like to be a nurse ... what aspects of the job appeal to you ... which aspects ruin your day ... what types of nursing functions come naturally to you ... and which functions you struggle with. Only then will you be in a position to survey the career possibilities and begin to discern which options fit your particular set of skills and preferences.

As Lunah learned -- and wisely shared -- a lot of people suggest an NP role to her ... but her experience has taught her that such a role is not a good match for her at this time. That's the kind of stuff we all learn about ourselves as we get experience as a nurse. Our preferences evolve over time as our needs, skills, and preferences develop.