What Inspired Your Choice of Nursing Specialty?

cardiacmadeline, RN · May 27, 2009

I work on a cardiothoracic floor and have since I graduated. I have always been fascinated by the heart and think I always knew I wanted to work in cardiac. I don't remember any "aha" moment. Also, my floor is surgical. I am not a medical nurse. I like helping people recover after surgery and the incisions and tubes that go with having surgery.

LHH1996 · May 27, 2009

I enjoyed med/surg nursing, but one thing that bothered me was the attitude that nursing homes were just places for old people, places for death, etc etc...

I decided to transfer to the SNF side and loved the variety of residents. found it wasn't just "old people" or "death" it was skilled nursing care for all ranges of ages..(yes, we even had kids and teenagers from time to time, and once we had a pregnant woman), people had goals to go home after rehab. there was a variety of diseases and conditions to deal with not just one specialty...when it did happen that someone was to be long-term care or end of life...I could be there to keep them comfortable and quality of life.

Every time I hear snide comments about LTC or nurses who work in long-term care, I just smile to myself and remember that I know I am doing a special job!

travel50 · May 27, 2009

I work in a nursing home, a place I always swore I'd never work. They were foul, smelly, depressing places. I only took a job in one 12 yrs ago b/c they paid me so much to work on the weekends that I could stay home with my kids during the week. Got sick to my stomach the first day only b/c I was so certain that I'd hate it. And I absolutely fell in love with it. I've been at my present nsg home for over 9 yrs. They'll have to kick me out. It can be smelly and it can be sad. But my residents can be so funny, loveable, and giving. I make a difference in their lives, and they make an enormous difference in mine.

allnurses Guide · May 27, 2009

I was given an ICU rotation in my graduate year. My second rotation was geriatric rehab - I nearly died after working in ICU! I went back to CTICU after my grad year and never left. I have worked in industry and in various areas of cardiac care since. I love it.

Straydandelion · May 27, 2009

My specialty was where I got a job/who hired me, and if I enjoyed working on the floor I did i.e. manager and co-workers. There is not one specific specialty I loved over others figuring I could learn and enjoy wherever, which I did.

nkochrn, RN · May 27, 2009

I work in a rural hospital so I get to do pretty much everything. I really like ER, but I also like to do OB and enjoy my Med-Surg patients. I don't have any one specialty. I didn't necessarily make the decision to do rural nursing based on anything other than location. I've worked at a nursing home full time in the past and continue to work there PRN now, but I'd miss the hospital terribly if I went back to LTC full time.

rbs105, ADN, MSN, RN · May 27, 2009

Never saw it in nsg school, except a brief stint In L and D when I saw a c-section but I LOVE the OR. I work nights, see trauma and blood galore and I love the fact that I work as a team with so many people. Was always told to not do it in nursing school and we are not always recognized for what we do because we are more behind the scenes, but the job is invaluable. My aha moment was when I realized I HATED med surg!! Nothing beats the clank of bullets being pulled out of a chest, the smoke coming off the saw cutting thru a sternum or watching someones lung pink up in someone else's chest after being donated!! Its a messy job and I'm happy to do it!!

RbsW0

HippyGreenPeaceChick · May 27, 2009

I love the ER so far. probably because of my training as a corpsman with the Fleet Marines.

Semper Fi, and Semper ER

CABG patch kid, BSN, RN · May 27, 2009

The funny thing for me is that cardiac was never my strong subject in school, and it took me ages just to memorize the cardiac cycle!! Maybe that's why I like it now, I studied it so darn much, just to remember the stuff! But yes, I decided that the heart and lungs are pretty amazing and interesting, and now "tele" or "cardiac" pts are the ones I feel most comfortable with. As far as being in critical care, well I just knew from the second I walked into an ICU as a student that its where I wanted to be. After graduation, it was just a matter of where and when. Now I'm working in a CCU and just getting my feet wet! It's awesome!

Higgs · May 27, 2009

When I was young and newly qualified I did Accidient and Emergency. Zap! Pow! Crisis! Run around! Phew - so busy, no time for breaks! Quick! Life or Death!

After a while I decided to work in Surgery. All those High powered skills, machines and indepth, technical knowledge - yeah, Baby! Watch my brain grow!

As I got older I realised that what really matters is the human contact. A soft ressuring word here. A pillow fluff there - being able to talk to people and do a complete job. A conversation with a scared patient has the potential to do more good than any amount of flashy running around or showy equipment . That's why I work in Hospice care now.

RNperdiem, RN · May 27, 2009

I graduated 11 years ago when getting a job was not easy.

I took the med-surg job with little enthusiasm, but took it because it was 7-3. I learned a lot, gave the best care I could and looked around at what else was available after a year.

I applied for OR. OR sounded neat. No call bells. No families.

OR was only hiring internal candidates, but the recruiter offered me my choice of ICU's with the option of applying to OR after a year or two.

I chose SICU and have been happy there for the past 10 years.