Switching My Specialty?

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · Jul 12, 2010

No. You wouldn't need to return to school to become an ICU nurse. You would be trained in each specialty, but most likely, you wouldn't start off in either of of these intense units.

You are 16 with much more time to think about career choices. When I was your age, I thought I wanted to pursue another field, but after growing and maturing, I have found nursing is right for me. So don't jump the gun.

SWE3TLILSHORTY · Jul 13, 2010

I say jump on the gun!! I was 16 when I decided nursing... I took all of my pre-requisites in high school!! And then I realized high school classes don't count... so I went to a community college and took all the required pre-req's for all schools... I'm quick so it took me a year in a 1/2... and I applied to 7 schools. I'm in California and its really competitive here with lottery systems... 1st semester I didn't get in anywhere... 2nd semester I got into a school about 30 min to 45 min away. But I wanted nursing so bad I didn't care about the drive.

I say go for it!! All power to u!! I'm a type of person who knows what I want... so even at 16... I knew what I wanted... it's not that young of an age to think about your life.

Here's what I did: I went to the boards website... Board of Registered Nursing

and I clicked on the link "schools" and they all have their phone numbers directly (instead of going through the automated/operator from the original school line) and I called each and every school and asked about the pre-requisites...

They hate to spend 2 minutes and just tell you the 5 classes you need so they'll say oh we'll send you a packet or look online... In those cases I told them well I dont have any internet access right now and don't have a permanent home adress either. (I said all that to make them tell me!! and they did)

In the meantime the summer before I finished all my pre-requisites I got my phlebotomy certificate (license takes a few months so I finished with my pre-req's in the meantime until it came)... Then i worked in a hospital for over 6 months while waiting and gained hospital experience... plus I can now put in an IV into someone's vein much better than any new nurse. So phlebotomy is a great field to go into for the waiting time and just getting a hang of the field.

After you graduate from nursing school you have to go through a new grad program training... once you go through that and you have your 1 yr experience... any hospital will accept you after. Then you try to go into ER or ICU (which is also my 2 most interest fields) and will be trained most likely.

I wish you the best of luck... good luck to you!! Welcome to nursing =)