Question about specializing in nursing

[linzyann]

I know that all nurses specialize in some area, but how does this process work? Do you pick a specialty early on in your schooling, or do you just decide when you enter the workforce? Can you switch specialization? I am just wondering. I'm not even in nursing school yet, I was thinking about PA school but then I decided I'd rather go the nursing route. I know with PAs, you can change specialties with ease, and I just wondered how this works for nursing.

[bargainhound, RN]

Yes, you can change easily.

You are not stuck in a specialty.

You are free to choose what field you work.

You just flow into something that you love.

Sometimes, you get burned out in one area

and then choose to move on to another.

It is not complicated.

It is pretty easy to get on the job training

when you choose to change specialties, in most

cases. You can also do a lot of studying on your

own just from nursing journals and nursing books,

to increase your knowledge in your field of interest.

[Markthemalenurse]

Bargainhound is correct - you are not stuck in one area. You can change whenever you want.

[linzyann]

Thank you. I wasn't sure if you were stuck in a certainly specialty, mostly because I go to a school with a big PA program and the bloody PA students keep telling me I can't switch specialties. (for the record, I have nothing against PAs...I've just heard this from quite a few PA students. :)) As an NP you cannot switch specialities, correct?