Which field of nursing is the most technically hard?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I'm thinking either ER or ICU since both fields require continuing education. What, in your experience, is the hardest nursing field?

Continuing Education requirements are completely state by state as to how many hours you must have to maintain your license. However a facility can require that you do them regardless of what state they may be in.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm pretty sure that most Burn Units have the highest turnover/burnout rate in the nursing field. And as for me I am most positive that would be my choice for being the hardest nursing job field!!! Just for me though!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

CVICU. But then some nurses have been bored in that specialty. It all depends on you and what you think is hard.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Don't know if this counts but my brother is a Nurse anesthetist and he said the school for that was really tough. He's told me many times if he'd of known how hard it was that he would of never gone that route. He told me once he got accepted and started the school, he was embarrassed to look like a failure to his friends and family and that's the only reason he never quit.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.

This type of question just contributes to nurse vs nurse animosity; a constant and sometimes unspoken competition stemming from the imagined debate of who is the MOST stressed, who works the ABSOLUTE hardest, who has the MOST right to be exhausted and is the MOST self sacrificing. It's ridiculous. There are challenges to any and all fields of nursing. Which field is the most difficult is completely dependent on you and the type of nurse/learner/worker you are. Acting like the ICU and ER are the "hardest" just adds more to the disrespect of nurses in other specialties. when I worked m/s, I can't tell you how many people asked me "where I want to end up" in the long run. Like m/s is just a stepping stone, a necessary detour before you reach the unit where you can be a "real" nurse. It's ridiculous and can cause nurses in those "hard" specialties to have overinflated egos about how truly saintly they are.

I'll tell you the most kind of important nurse.

The one in front of you when you need him or her.

I'll tell you the hardest specialty.

The one you are in right now.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I would consider your interests rather than the level of difficulty.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Actually, every nurse has to do continuing education in order to maintain the license.

But my personal opinion (solely from what I've read about online) is that flight nursing is probably one of the hardest. Most flight nurses must have ICU experience (ICU nurses have SUCH a wealth of knowledge when it comes to caring for the critically ill). Not only do flight nurses need ICU-level knowledge and skill, but they also need to be able to practice nursing for acutely ill on basically a flying ICU with limited resources. They amaze me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
True that! Been there.

Wait you were a flight nurse?! I def posted my comment before reading this and if you're a flight nurse...well I'm totally shamelessly fan-girling right now.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Wait you were a flight nurse?! I def posted my comment before reading this and if you're a flight nurse...well I'm totally shamelessly fan-girling right now.

Awwwwww. I was one for 12 years before I hung up my wings.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CTICU.

The hardest depends on you - I work in critical care and love it, but psych nursing is impossibly hard to me because it just doesn't suit my personality. I also hate the ER work because I don't have the patience to deal with those patients. The best thing about nursing is the multitude of areas to suit everyone.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I'm thinking either ER or ICU since both fields require continuing education. What, in your experience, is the hardest nursing field?

It depends very much on your personality, interest, years in nursing, resilience and ability to cope.

Personally, I found critical care / ICU the easiest because I have an affinity for all things technical and loved the work in the cardiac surgery CCU - the more machines the better! I feel drawn to complexity and having just one or two patients to care for just really worked in my favor.

I loved acute dialysis as well - for the above reasons - but the frequent on call was just not sustainable.

So what I consider really "hard" is longterm care facility nursing and all med-surg nursing. It is hard because of the constant multi-tasking, fast paced work and the unrealistic expectations from administration and nursing management that expects nurses to function like machines with no mistakes and there is always more work than time. And - don't forget - you also have to display perfect customer skills the whole time! no matter how stressed you are - you are basically a crew member in some kind of "Disney - style Resort".

All nursing requires continues education.

The ER seems super hectic but there is some sort of "glamor" attached to it and if you like this kind of environment you might enjoy that kind of craziness.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Awwwwww. I was one for 12 years before I hung up my wings.

That is AWESOME. 12 years--I can't even begin to imagine how much knowledge you have.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment