When to choose a specialty

Stephalump · Dec 27, 2012

In a robust job market, people tend to choose after doing clinical rotations in various areas and then make the final decision when it's time to apply for jobs. Nowadays? People seem to still pick what they'd LIKE to do during clinicals, but just go into whatever speciality they can get into and hope to get where they'd like to be after some experience. I do know some people who went into nursing school knowing what they wanted to do and sticking to it and actually working there, but I wouldn't say that's the norm. I don't think most people have an accurate picture of what nursing is in general before going through school, much less the specifics of what they'd enjoy the most.

aliciat22 · Dec 27, 2012

Thank you! That is what I was hoping to hear. I tell people that I am going to nursing school and the first thing they ask is what I am going to specialize in. So glad to know that is one thing I do not have to decide before I get a little hand on experience.

brenay · Dec 28, 2012

In a robust job market, people tend to choose after doing clinical rotations in various areas and then make the final decision when it's time to apply for jobs. Nowadays? People seem to still pick what they'd LIKE to do during clinicals, but just go into whatever speciality they can get into and hope to get where they'd like to be after some experience. I do know some people who went into nursing school knowing what they wanted to do and sticking to it and actually working there, but I wouldn't say that's the norm. I don't think most people have an accurate picture of what nursing is in general before going through school, much less the specifics of what they'd enjoy the most.

So the speciality I want to go into now will more than likely change once I start nursing school??

kaydensmom01 · Dec 28, 2012

I am in my last semester and still do not know what I would like to specialize in.

kaydensmom01 · Dec 28, 2012

So the speciality I want to go into now will more than likely change once I start nursing school??

Not necessarily, I think that she was just saying nursing is not what you expect.

Stephalump · Dec 28, 2012

So the speciality I want to go into now will more than likely change once I start nursing school??

Hmm, I don't know! I just know there are so many factors that can play a part in your final destination, who knows where you'll end up?

For instance, lots of people start out wanting to do Nicu for whatever reason. They love babies, had a baby of their own in the Nicu, etc. Both great reasons, but there are realities to that (and very job) that you cannot really fully grasp until you've experienced it that could change your mind. Like the realities of infant death. Crazy parents. Caring for a patient who can't communicate his needs.

Then there's the fact that you'll get to try all sorts of things in clinicals and something else may steal your heart. I rarely see anyone on here dreaming of working in the cath lab or working in wound care, but they're viable options once you realize they're there.

I say if you know what you want to do, awesome. Best of luck. If you don't, just enjoy the ride and the openness you'll have to ALL of your experiences. I have friends who came into school wanting one thing and one thing only and they just suffer through all of our other rotations - and it'll be a shame if they end up having to take a job in one of those other specialities they're investing so little into.

Stephalump · Dec 28, 2012

I am in my last semester and still do not know what I would like to specialize in.

I have no idea either. People ask me what I want to do all the time, and all I feel like I can tell them is what I've discovered I DON'T want to do, and even that isn't much!

brenay · Dec 28, 2012

Hmm, I don't know! I just know there are so many factors that can play a part in your final destination, who knows where you'll end up? For instance, lots of people start out wanting to do Nicu for whatever reason. They love babies, had a baby of their own in the Nicu, etc. Both great reasons, but there are realities to that (and very job) that you cannot really fully grasp until you've experienced it that could change your mind. Like the realities of infant death. Crazy parents. Caring for a patient who can't communicate his needs. Then there's the fact that you'll get to try all sorts of things in clinicals and something else may steal your heart. I rarely see anyone on here dreaming of working in the cath lab or working in wound care, but they're viable options once you realize they're there. I say if you know what you want to do, awesome. Best of luck. If you don't, just enjoy the ride and the openness you'll have to ALL of your experiences. I have friends who came into school wanting one thing and one thing only and they just suffer through all of our other rotations - and it'll be a shame if they end up having to take a job in one of those other specialities they're investing so little into.

Wow. I never thought of the points you made. Thanks! I'm open to whatever happens now! So you don't know what specialty you want to do? Not even a little bit?

loriangel14, RN · Dec 28, 2012

Most people change their minds about what they want to do once they get some experience.Quite often nursing is not what you would expect. A type of nursing you were sure would be terrific turns out to be the last thing you would want to do.Also you don't have to stay in one area. It's not like you pick a speciality and that's it.One of my coworkers was on the telemetry unit and then a job opened up in L&D and she took that position.

RNMarykay · Jan 1, 2013

I agree with loriangel 14. A good friend of mine went into nursing because he had a son who was severely disabled. He always said he wanted to work pediatrics, but when he did his clinicals he was bored out of his mind. He actually LIKES med/surg tele pts because of the variety of diseases and situations that come up in a day. My brother is a great nurse, but works at a slow pace. He learned quickly that he'd better figure out an area to nurse in that would be suited to his personality and ended up in dialysis. He doesn't mind the acuity of the patients, and he likes that he only has two at a time and never has to do any of the admission/discharge paperwork that med/surg nurses do. Me? I'm hoping to go into trauma nursing. Severe blood/guts/codes don't bother me, but dealing with the same patient for more than six hours at a time can make me crazy. It's all about figuring out where your personality fits within the scope of nursing. I think it just takes time.

MBrickle · Jan 1, 2013

You specialize in whatever you get a job in!!! Some markets (like Boston) are impossible. You are lucky to get a job in this area.