What specialty do you want and not want to work in?

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · May 17, 2010

I find myself drawn to crazy town, aka the ER. I work as a scribe in the ER at two hospitals in my town, and I haven't been scared off. If I can handle the crazy environment as a scribe, I think I can do it as an RN. Basically I want a specialty where I have a lot of autonomy and the chance to learn a lot. If I can't get the ER, then critical care would be the way to go. Needless to say, I haven't ruled anything out. Well, except for long-term care, SNF, and rehab facilities. Because the patient-nurse ratios are just too much. I might as well kiss my license good bye because something will happen.

exactly- autonomy is key :)

ER isnt as crazy as ppl think it is. it can get a LITTLE crazy sometimes, but its controlled chaos :)

catman88 · Jul 22, 2013

Ooooh, fun thread! I know its 3 years old but oh well, I'll add my thoughts. I am a pre-nursing student and like others have said I'll be interested to see how my mind changes once I start nursing school/my nursing career.

LOVE: OR...this is the "main" reason I want to go to NS.

Would also enjoy...well, I *think* I would also love Psych, ICU, School nursing, Developmental Disabilities/Group Home nursing (odd variety, huh? :rolleyes: ).

Would gladly accept LTC, as I love geriatrics and loved working as a CNA in LTC (several years ago), and M/S.

Not interested in: Pediatrics, L&D, anything with kids/parents...my husband and I have some issues with infertility and I feel it would be too emotional for me to be on those floors, and I wouldn't know how to relate to the parents, though I suppose I would take anything available to me.

green34 · Jul 22, 2013

I'd love the ICU or mobile ICU nurse (not big on flying). Then the ER followed by a stepdown. Then psych but not at the "serious" psych hospitals. Not really big on med-surg unless I was a float nurse who would be trained in at least the ICU and stepdown at one of the main hospitals where I had a variety of floors.

I already work in the ER as a paramedic and a unit clerk.

kittycat123 · Jul 22, 2013

I want: OB

I don't mind if I'm in any other field though

kp1987 · Jul 22, 2013

Yes: L&D, NICU,ICU,ER,OR

No: Psych, LTC,geriatrics

Peds and med/surg and public health wouldn't be to bad

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2013

Whole thread on this: https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/why-do-you-639607.html

i always tell students to ask that of every nurse they ever encounter, because somewhere in there something will resonate. my example:

"oh, i just love labor/delivery/postpartum dyad care! what a great opportunity to get a new family off to a good start, establish breastfeeding, most of the patients are so happy and healthy, if they are happy now it's a beginning of a relationship with our hospital for whatever they need later ... can't beat it, i'll never do anything else.":heartbeat:

vs.:

"oh my sweet patootie, if i never see ob again it'll be too soon. tits and fundi and peri pads and meconium and those whiny b***** with their eight-page birth plans and the mothers and mothers-in-law in the way tripping over all those germy flower arrangements .... yeeck, get me outta here!":mad:

as for me,

i work for myself because i love the autonomy, i love the work because it makes me see new things every week, i like problem-solving and explaining and life care planning works like that in spades. :up:

i would never go back to floor nursing at my age, but when i was younger and did work in hospitals i preferred icu because while i didn't mind (well, not too much) working hard all day long without a break but i hated like hell wasting my time running up and down long hallways, and i felt more comfortable knowing everything about one or two patients than not too much about ten

Jenngirl34RN · Jul 23, 2013

I went into the decision to go back to school to be a nurse wanting to do pediatrics or NICU. About a year ago (while I was still finishing prereqs) my husband was diagnosed with cancer and I spent quite a bit of time in a cancer center during his appointments. I now want to work in oncology, hopefully pediatric oncology.

I do not want to work in ER or trauma or psych.

rubato, ASN, RN · Jul 23, 2013

I want to work oncology and then, ultimately, hospice. It's why I started school, and now that I'm halfway through, it's still what I want. But, I will work anywhere when I graduate.

catman88 · Jul 23, 2013

GrnTea, that is how I feel about it as well, I prefer knowing a lot about my patients and having more one on one time like I get to have in my current career. I am sure I can be a good nurse on MedSurg or other floors with higher ratios but i don't feel it would be my comfort zone -- that was my big beef with being a CNA in LTC; I wanted to know my patients better and I never got the chance but gosh did I love them.

Who knows, maybe we will all surprise ourselves with what we end up enjoying!

priorities2 · Jul 23, 2013

Want: Any type of psych, travel clinic, maybe some kind of triage

Don't want: LTC (though I might reconsider this later.. i love old people), med-surg, anything with kids, well pretty much anything else

RNnewbie2014 · Jul 23, 2013

I want to work in pediatrics, L & D, home health, dialysis, cardiac, ICU, med-surg, PACU, or even in surgery itself.

DO NOT: Pulmonary, ER. I am scared to death of the fast pace. Maybe if I had a 5 years of nursing experience under my belt it would be different.

ebinbrooklyn · Jul 23, 2013

Want: ED, trauma, surgery, flight, infectious disease. I've worked LTC and it's not so bad--mostly boring. Might be a nice option for later in life when I'm tired of fast paced go go go.

Don't want: Peds. L&D - it's beautiful, sure, but oh lordy my stomach was unhappy. Also public health nursing - least favorite class so far. I did home care in college and going into someone's home is so awkward.

I picked my school because it's a level one trauma ED but it seems like the program is skewed towards the two areas I don't like