Nursing has so many different options should I pursue this career

[Curious88]

nursing has so many different options it's great! I was thinking about pursuing this career as a way to open door to many opportunities. however in the long run and my goal career wise I'm not really interested in bedside nursing. I mean I'll do it for the experience and to pay my dues. [but I'm really more interested in being like a public health nurse, school nurse, clinical nurse specialist, certified legal consultant nurse, nurse practitioner, peds nurse, . I think Icould make a difference through this career but overall goal is these options . Another one is home health. I don't think I want to work in a hospital more than I have to for experience. I don't think it's my niche. Should I go to nursing school

[evolvingrn, BSN, RN]

Why not, you don't have to work in a hospital to be a quality nurse. i love bedside nursing but i have no intention of staying here long term, like you said there are lots of options out there. Good luck!

[smily nurse, BSN, RN]

Find some friends that are nurses and shadow. There are many options and sooooo many things to do. You may just LOVE it!!!

[j621d]

Go for it! And yes, the beauty of nursing is the options you have. I agree that you should have some bedside experience, as it helps put everything in perspective and it does help to round out your education. Good for you!

[PCU_RN9, MSN]

No...

[jjjoy, LPN]

Honestly, I think there ought to be a totally unique track just for bedside nursing so that those training resources can be maximized for those who do plan to work bedside. However, that's not how it works now. So RN education attempts to cover just about everything which can leave grads feeling underprepared for bedside nursing roles.

Nonetheless, bedside nursing is still the mainstay of clinical nursing opportunities. For "all those other options" you often need either specific experience, extra training, and/or being in 'the right place at the right time'. Many of those other options also build upon a solid foundation in hands on clinical. The reason they want to hire a nurse in some roles isn't because they value the degree/license, but it's the real-world experience a seasoned nurse can bring to the role.

There most certainly *are* roles that nurses fill that are not bedside and do not build upon bedside care. However, if the role doesn't directly build on hands on nursing care then perhaps its a role that doesn't necessarily require a nursing degree either. And if that's your predominant interest, you may want to explore various alternatives to see if nursing or some other schooling might suit your goals best.