Question about specialties, etc

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Hi everyone...here's my situation. I am considering going back to school for the accelerated second bachelors degree program in nursing. However, I am trying to learn more about different specialties and take care of some of the concerns I have about doing this.

1. Where to apply. I am only considering BSN programs because I know that I want to advance - either to a nurse practitioner program, PA school, CRNA, or management. Not sure which yet, but that's why I'm doing the BSN. I see top schools, such as Hopkins or Penn, but their tuition is high..very high. Is it worth it to do that? Would applying to and attending a lower ranked school lower my chances of getting into one of the above mentioned fields or positions? I assume that it wouldn't affect getting a job?

2. Specialties. I've been trying to do some research on the career path within several different specialties. Right now, I am interested in orthopedics, oncology, and maybe cardiology. Here's what I don't understand - within those specialties, there are sub-specialties. Can someone please tell me about them, likes and dislikes? For example, if I graduated with a BSN and wanted to do ortho, how would I start out? What is the path from there?

3. My biggest fear. Needlesticks. I can deal with everything else but I am deathly afraid of needle sticks. So as ridiculous as this may sound, of the fields I listed above, which ones have the biggest risks for needle sticks or other blood-borne exposures? I know the risks are statistically low but that is of little solace.

Thanks for any advice and information you may have.

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Wrong logon!

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Specializes in Tele, M/S, Psych.

Some answers to your questions:

1) BSN is always a good route to take if you are able to. Many hospitals "prefer" BSN prepared nurses. With that in mind, it certainly isn't that much more difficult to find a job with your ADN, and there are plenty of RN to BSN programs around. Whether you are willing to pay that much to go to school is up to you. I attend a Community College (graduate in December!) and feel my education has been great. We have the highest NCLEX pass rate in Maryland every year and were just voted Best Nursing School. I definitely feel that BSN programs are beneficial as it has taken most of us years to obtain our Associates degree with two years of prereqs and two of clinicals and within the same amount of time we could have a bachelors degree.

2) Your specialty is really what you choose to go into after school. By the time your last semester rolls around, you usually have an inkling of what you wish to "specialize" in. Many people choose to do their Acute Care Practicums in that area so they have some experience when applying for jobs. As for "subspecialties" in ortho, it depends on where you work. The hospital I work at has a dedicated M/S floor for ortho. Others (especially large teaching hospitals) may have Ortho Trauma, Joint, Postsurgical, etc. If you wish to start out in ortho, apply for ortho jobs after school!

3) Desensitization is the only cure. After you give tons of IMs and SubQs, it isn't any different then handing the patient a pill. We had a girl who was terrified of needles and actually started crying and had to leave class when we were in Fundamentals. What did we all do? Every patient that needed heparin or insulin or anything, she gave it. After two days of that she was cured! Trust me, every nurse has something they don't enjoy, I have no problems with needles but tell me to suction a patient who's secretions are hard as a rock, my stomach churns. Uggghh, sputum...

Anyway, hope this helps some and good luck! Going to nursing school is the hardest and by far the best experience I've had!:nuke:

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