Specialty Nursing

[Julia Ashcroft]

How do I become a specialty nurse. Any type of specialty nurse. I'm just wondering in general. Is there usually extra schooling and credentials I need for certain specialties?

[roser13, ASN, RN]

What type of specialty nurse do you want to be? It does matter as to the specialty that you're seeking. Different specialties have different requirements.

As a student nurse, your focus needs to be on experience in general. Specializing comes later, with experience.

[rearviewmirror, BSN, RN]

hi Julia, that question would be same as me asking an engineer on how to become a specialty engineer. Can you elaborate? ER? ICU? OR? case management? etc

[Julia Ashcroft]

Thank you for replying! I just wasn't sure if you just needed the experience or if more schooling was required for specialties. Let's say if I wanted to work as an L&D nurse or NICU nurse.

[SmilingBluEyes]

ALL nurses with experience in any area of another, are specialty nurses. That would include the much-maligned specialty of the med-surge nurse.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Thank you for replying! I just wasn't sure if you just needed the experience or if more schooling was required for specialties. Let's say if I wanted to work as an L&D nurse or NICU nurse.

You would do best to have contacts in those areas. It's not always about what you know, but WHO you know. This is very true in nursing.

But don't go around asking how to be a "specialty nurse" because they are ALL specialties of one sort or another.

[NICUismylife, ADN, BSN, RN]

It really depends on the area and facility preference. I go to a very well respected community college ADN program and most of our grads go directly into their specialty of choice. Our local facilities are falling over themselves to hire us. However, I know in more overly saturated areas, hospitals have so many applicants that they can require previous experience. It just varies.