wide variety of possibilities in nursing makes me unsure

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I am a freshman attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania for nursing this fall (classes start in like a week and a half, so I am quite pumped). For any new nursing students or any prospective students, do you ever feel overwhelmed by how many career choices you have with a BSN in Nursing? Like by nature I am a very picky person. This is bad because so far I know that I want either psychiatric, ICU, ER, or Flight or even public health as a career option. As you can tell, I don't have it narrowed down at all. All I know is that I want to either be in the air force or army doing one of those choices? Dies anyone else feel overwhelmed with picking a field? Granted you can change at any time but I just wanted to know.

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Specializes in Hospice/Infusion.

Funny, I am an LPN right now going for RN BSN. I cannot wait because my options are so limited as an LPN and I know once I have that degree the world will open up to me. I am leaning toward ICU and CRNA, won't know if CC is for me until I've tested the waters but if all goes well maybe flight? Or If it's not for me maybe forensic? I'm in the same boat lol.

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You will get lots of exposure in nursing school, and often with the job market you take whatever job you can get if your dream job isn't available. Don't worry, you pick something, try it, move on to something else if you want to. Many nurses move around specialties before they find where they want to stay. good luck

lj85-I did what you are doing, except I did ADN after LVN, and just finished BSN. applied to CRNA schools for next year start!

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Supervisory, HEDIS, IT.

There are a lot of options for nurses. A lot of people in my program had expectations and thoughts about what they wanted to do and found along the way that they were more interested in something else they never considered like wound care nursing or PICC nursing. YOu will get lots of experience when you are in the clinical setting. Also some people went in with the mentality such as "I only want to do ER/ICU (or whatever specialty) and realized they did not enjoy it as much as they thought, and they found something else that they enjoyed. A girl in my program wanted ER/ICU and found out she REALLLLY loved Labor and Delivery. She had never considered that option.

Everyone asks me "what do you want to do" I just tell them I am still learning all my options. So far, I have found wound care, ICU, dialysis, and even hospice really cool.

Don't stress about what you might do after you graduate. I would just say concentrate on school and studying...MAKE LOTS OF FLASH CARDS!!! :)

GOOD LUCK!!!

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Don't feel overwhelmed. Start with what you DON"T want to do in nursing. That's the best place to start. They tried to pigeon hole me into Radiology Dept because I am also a ARRT ® X-ray tech. So I stopped putting it on my applications. I wanted out of that dead end field-- that's why I switched.

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yeah one area I think that would not interest me is hospice...I feel like that would be emotional torture

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

I think it's good to be open with your options. Some students knew what what type of nursing they wanted to do right from the start; others had some options and others were just completely unsure. You will get a lot of exposure in school and it will help narrow things down. I had an interest in cardiac and even pediatric nursing at one point, but after I did peds in nursing school I decided that wasn't for me at all. Just stay open-minded :) You could also look into shadowing opportunities.

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Specializes in Med Surg, PCU, Travel.
I am a freshman attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania for nursing this fall (classes start in like a week and a half, so I am quite pumped). For any new nursing students or any prospective students, do you ever feel overwhelmed by how many career choices you have with a BSN in Nursing? Like by nature I am a very picky person. This is bad because so far I know that I want either psychiatric, ICU, ER, or Flight or even public health as a career option. As you can tell, I don't have it narrowed down at all. All I know is that I want to either be in the air force or army doing one of those choices? Dies anyone else feel overwhelmed with picking a field? Granted you can change at any time but I just wanted to know.

Your fears are the exact reason why I want to be a nurse, nothing is narrowed down for me...endless possibilities...get bored with one area just switch ICU, lots of drama there...overworked...go to LTC....tired of boss...run your own homehealth aid business... or train CNA's....there is just so much to do.. I love the ability to choose!!!

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The good thing, I feel, about this profession is the actual exposure you get to the various wards during Nursing school. So I'm still like you a bit overwhelmed with the different fields in nursing. I feel that we will know when we get into clinicals, and we shouldn't rule out a lot before we are exposed to it. Take it one day at a time and best of luck to you!

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