Why/how did you choose to specialize in your area?

I'm not really sure how I picked ICU, I think just because that's where I worked in school. But I've realized that I'm much too additudinal, sarcastic, and generally warped to work anywhere alse...except maybe ER. Or the Crapateria.

I went to nursing school with the intent to specialize in NICU. I didn't really consider any other area and confirmed my suspicions during clinicals that med/surg would NEVER work for me. I hated med/surg in clinicals and was miserable the whole time I was there. Some of the other places I got to go during clinicals (pre-op holding, GI lab, special procedures, etc) were nice, but I still had my heart set on the NICU.

Well, no NICU positions were available when I got out of school, so I took a detour in the OR, which I really liked, but it still wasn't what I wanted. When the NICU position finally opened up, I applied, and I've been there ever since.

All my life I wanted to work with babies or kids. My last three months in school I worked in an ER as a CNA. When I was ready to graduate I applied for newborn nursery (back when rooming in was uncommon) and peds. I was stopped in the hall one day by the house supe and was told the ER manager was very hurt because she was holding one of two new grad openings for me and I hadn't bothered to apply. The job was mine if I wanted it, no interview needed. I would have been a fool to turn it down. Been in ER ever since and I love it.

Side note: in school I did part of my clinical at a military hospital and I remember one soldier telling me that every nurse should spend at least 6 months in the ER. I told him "No way, no how, uh-UH!" I didn't think I had what it takes to work ER. Sometimes I think about him and wish I could have seen him later to tell him he was right!

I knew I wanted to work in an ICU setting. I picked MICU since I like taking care of multisystem diseases such as liver failure, sepsis, ARDS, etc. I don't particularly like working with surgeons and surgical patients so the medical population seems to fit my personality.

My Aunt is a nurse and works in cath lab. She helped me get a job as a student on a cardiac medical floor. I worked there during school and continued working on a cardiac medical floor for 5 months after I graduated. I transferred to a cardiovascular thoracic recovery unit and realized that I love surgical patients. I get to receive open hearts (my favorite things to do!) and the thoracic and vascular surgeries that we receive give me some variety.

I will always be around cardiac patients. I find this body system the most interesting and enjoy learning more about it.

I am in med-surg and absolutely love it. During school I worked in Psych and do still fill in there once in a while, but love med-surg. The variety of each day is absolutely amazing, and sometimes a challenge, but at this time I don't want to do anything else. I know about the reputation of med-surg nurses eating their young, but have been a preceptor to at least 2 new grads each year and am often requested by graduates. I love what I do, and want to continue for quite a while yet.

I didn't like med/surge in nsg school. My first job was in a hospital, and it was very different than in nsg school. I couldn't keep up the pace. I liked psych in nsg school, so when the opportunity presented itself, that's where I went. I love it.

In school, I also didn't care for med-surg, but I didn't know where I wanted to go. After graduation I really looked at each area, each opportunity in hospitals near me, and decided med-surg WAS the way to go (and particularly a surgical unit, as mine is): lots of variety, lots of different procedures and treatments. I wanted to learn about many different types of pts, get a really well-rounded base of knowledge.

I found that on my surgical floor (with a fair amount of 'med' thrown in), and I LOVE it!