Switching specialties

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · May 17, 2017

It is best to go into nursing school with an open mind. Once you get into clinicals, you will be able to get a feel for each specialty. Then decide which specialty fits your personality. I went into nursing school set on the traditionally male nursing jobs (ER, Adult ICU, Trauma). It wasn't until I had a clinical day in the NICU that I found my niche.

BlueBoxSearcher · May 17, 2017

I have that problem.Im short and people assume,since im a girl,I will want to be in NICU or OB/GYN.Not that there is anything wrong with these,I am stuck between wanting the fast paced ER or the precise oncology.I love peds,so I might go with ER or oncology in peds.Im kind of stuck.I told my mom I wanted peds and I think she thonks that is where I will be.I dont know.Keeping an open mind is what I should do.Thanks!

Purple_roses · May 17, 2017

Your mind will change as you go through your different clinicals, and probably even throughout your nursing career. That's why nursing school teaches you about each specialty; you'll have the general knowledge base that will allow you to go to almost any floor in a hospital setting. Also, nursing students often go into nursing school expecting to like a certain specialty and wind up loving a completely different one. I expected to like peds and hate psych, and I never pictured myself in something like cardiac--but here I am in cardiac (and I loved my psych rotation, while peds was just "meh").

Go into each rotation with an open mind.

RNperdiem, RN · May 17, 2017

An open mind is a good thing. As a new grad, as your job prospects will probably be limited. If you don't feel the need to limit yourself to a particular speciality, then being satisfied with your first job is easier. As you work as a nurse, you really find out what suits you.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 17, 2017

A lot of nursing students go in gung-ho about one specialty and graduate gung-ho about an entirely different one. Perfectly normal :)

BlueBoxSearcher · May 18, 2017

Will I disappoint my family if I dont enter the specialty I told them I wanted in the begining?I really love ER setting but I love peds.I guess I will just wait for clinicals and see.Thanks!

itsybitsy · May 18, 2017

I don't think your family will care what you decide to do as long as you are happy and succeed in what you want to do.

I wanted pediatric oncology in the beginning of nursing school; after one clinical day on that floor, I decided I didn't want anything to do with pediatrics... UNTILLLL, NICU. And I fell in love.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 18, 2017

Will I disappoint my family if I dont enter the specialty I told them I wanted in the begining?I really love ER setting but I love peds.I guess I will just wait for clinicals and see.Thanks!

With all due respect...why in the world should that matter? YOU are the one who will be working as a nurse, YOU will be the ones putting in the blood, sweat and tears to take care of these patients. So it doesn't matter what they think about your chosen specialty. What matters is what YOU think about your chosen specialty.

I think your family would rather see you happy in any specialty, than see you miserable as a peds nurse solely because that's what you told then you'd be when you started. And if they're not happy about your choice...well, as long as YOU are happy, then you are doing nothing wrong.