What specialty are you considering?

[daisygarten]

I feel like I learn of a new specialty every day-- I know some who's personal experiences draw them to a particular area of focus, but my top choices, I think are more related to my personality: Radiology, ICU, Med/Surg, and Cardiac all make the top of my list for their technical and critical demands.

[Chaotic94]

Labor and Delivery to then work my way up to NICU - that's my dream, but I will take whatever I can get as soon as I graduate!

[macalania54]

Right now I have my heart set almost completely on midwifery and women's health, but lately I've been reading and thinking more about HIV/AIDS nursing...

[SavvyNurse91, BSN, CNA]

Hi everyone. i FOR sure plan to work as a geriatric nurse in the nursing home where i currently work in as a CNA. i loveeee long-term care and assisting the elderly population; they need us and our elderly are living longer ! I also work as a CNA at a hospital on a med/surg unit.. so I wouldn't mind being a med/surg nurse ! its very interesting working on this kind of unit, always busy, full of surprises lol

:heartbeat

[sakiohma]

Psychiatrics is my first choice, followed by (international) public health and forensics.

[ProudStudent]

I have a fear of learning a lot of skills during NS, and then never using all of them when I work in one specialty. I really have an urge to start with Med/Surg. Partially because I'm preparing myself for the case that I'm most likely to work Med/Surg as a new RN, but also because I think I'll see a little bit of everything. I want to gain as much experience as I can, before settling into one field if at all possible.

[makingithappen3]

When do you decide on a specialty? Is that something you decide while you are in the nursing program, and take specialized courses for it? I am currently in a 2-year ADN program, and am wondering if and when I will have to choose my specialty, which I would like to be cardiology.

[Sumomo]

I have been considering perioperative nursing for quite some time now. I would like to become a RNFA someday...but once I start nursing school, who knows! I may also go to law school in the future, but that's a long time away.

[Halcyonn]

Haha, I picked nursing so I could jump around between specialties and not choose anything!

Seriously, though, I appreciate the variety of the career, and I can see myself trying a few different things before finding my niche. I have to say the only thing I don't see myself doing is L & D. I think my ultimate dream would be to go into forensic nursing, but we'll see where I go along the way.

This is my mindset, too. I like the fact that I have the ability move around and learn new things in different areas. I certainly won't be bored! Also, I would think there is less of a chance that I would become complacent, which might lead to burnout. Considering I haven't even stared nursing school yet, I want to keep an open mind and not go into it with any preconceived notions. I'm sure that I'll find something that really interests me once I begin my clinicals.

[Stephalump]

When do you decide on a specialty? Is that something you decide while you are in the nursing program, and take specialized courses for it? I am currently in a 2-year ADN program, and am wondering if and when I will have to choose my specialty, which I would like to be cardiology.

Well, in the ideal world you'd choose your specialty by picking your first job in that area.

Nowadays it doesn't often work like that, and new grads take what they can get. Maybe they work their way to their original passion or maybe they find a new one along the way.

Nurses are trained to be generalists, so I've never heard of anyone veering off in a specialty direction in school.

[makingithappen3]

Yeah, I thought we were trained to be generalists so I didn't realize that you specialize by just choosing jobs in the field you want. That simple, huh? :w00t:

Thanks!

[justinpark09, MSN, RN]

1/ ICU

2/ E.R.

3/ O.R.

4/ Geriatrics

[parde17]

I hope for ER or OR Recovery....one can hope:)