Your desired specialty

[ThePrincessBride]

It seems as though many people who enter nursing want to enter the ER or the Labor and Delivery unit because of the "cute babies." So I ask this question: what would you like to specialize in once you are a nurse?

I am in interested in the NICU and pediatrics. I also wouldn't mind labor and delivery.

[patientlywaitinagain]

As of right now:

Pediatrics

L&D

Psych

NICU

Least Favorite: ER

[KB24]

PEDS/NICU/PICU/PEDS ER.

[medicinelover]

I've changed my mind about what I want to be more than a couple of times and I would love w/e it was at that certain moment and not want to know about anything else, lol. Butttt at the moment I'm open to everything BUT geriatric (my mom who's an lpn does geriatric diabbetic patients and when I go with her I'm so not into it.... boringggg) I'm a very hyper person so ED would be the perfect fit, I volunteer in the ED at one of the many local hospitals here in Miami, Fl and its so unexpected, every day is different and that's why I love it. However I want to try different specialties, I wouldn't picture myself in labor & delivery but who knows. I really would like to try it all, if that's even possible.

By the way, I have a question. I ready some answers that said forensic nursing. I've never read or heard about it. I'd really appriciate some info on it. Thanks

[katoswife]

My areas of interest are:

oncology

peds

nurse midwife

nurse anesthetist

I would love to work at a children's hospital...Everyone I've talked to, though, thinks it would be a depressing job working with children who are in pain.

[Tooimpatient]

Agreed! Pediatrics, PICU, NICU~ that's where I want to be as of now.

I want to work in NICU (or at least that's what I THINK I want to do, I realize I won't know for sure until I actually experience it) but EVERY SINGLE PERSON looks at me like I'm crazy....they act almost as if I'm evil for wanting to work with "the dying babies". I told my boyfriend's sister and she literally started crying!!!! Has anybody else interested in working NICU experienced anything like this? I mean I realize it will be an emotional roller coaster b/c nothing is more innocent than babies but I would also like to be able to say I helped make their time here better, and from what I've read on this website most NICU nurses say the majority of the babies live and they talk about how rewarding it is to nurse a 2 lb baby to health. :redbeathe

[zanne71]

Pediatric Psychiatric Nursing. I have a passionate desire to help children with mental illnesses.

[Meesterjojo]

I actually want to be a FNP..or by the time I get my BSN I'll have to enroll in a DNP course. Eh.

I have an interest in preventative care and chronic disease treatment.

No particular interest in delivering babies, or working in an ICU. I realize that may change one day, though. For the moment I'd like to bring what I'll learn/experience to smaller communities without proper health care.

[paganoid]

I would like to practice in hospice. I feel that I have a unique perspective on death and dying and I enjoy working with terminal patients who, overall and IMHO, seem to have the healthiest outlook and sharpest humor of all patients I have cared for.

Unfortunately as a large male I pretty much only get offers for ER and Psych. I can't stand the pace or the drama. I find hospice to be generally quiet and peaceful. Why should I change? I'm happy here.

Peace.

[QuarterLife88, MSN, RN, NP]

Cardiac.

My favorite part of A&P was the heart:redbeathe. I really enjoyed it and I find it a fascinating organ, and Nutrition and the related diseases only fueled my interest.

[cluna11]

Oncology/Hematology

Though since I've started volunteering in the ER, that sounds exciting too.

I also would like to one day work in Hospice.

I'm also interested in working at Shriner's Burn Hospital for Children. An absolutely amazing place and beyond fascinating.

I'm open to many areas, but these are the areas that I really would like to work in at some point in my life before I die.

Where I do NOT want to be is at an LTC, or geriatrics. Just not my thing.

I'm on the same kind of thinking as you! I start my last year of school in August, graduate in May 2011. I just recently (about 3 days ago) finished a nursing internship that lasted ten weeks on an adult Leukemia/Lymphoma and Bone marrow transplant floor. I absolutely love it, and pursue to go into Oncology (especially Hematology) and have also had my sights on working in Hospice. I've had shadowing/experience in both these areas and truly want to go into these in my nursing career.

[wannabecnl]

I have to apply for my immersion site and specialty in about 2 weeks, so this question is on my mind constantly. I thought today would be the day I could finally choose the OR with full info, but despite watching a fascinating 6-hour cardiac surgery with a great team, I just didn't get that jazzed about what the nurses were doing except for the CRNA and RNFA, both of which would require a LOT more years of school (and I'm not a youngster with years of good knees ahead of me! ).

What surprised me was liking the ICU so much last week. So now I'm considering ICU or PACU; I like the technology, I love the patient and family contact, and I would like going very indepth on one or two patients rather than more superficial on 5! I have considered geropsych or gerontology, but I liked the acuity of the patients and the variety of skills needed in the ICU, and it would be a good place to start to move to the PACU or even CRNA someday.

[sdwmb]

Enjoyed reading your hopes and desires. Made me remember way back when. I wanted to be a psych nurse in '94, then quickly realized that while thought processes are amazing it is not the thing for me to do-just to read about. LOL My dreams have changed as I have. I went to physical rehab (LOVED it) then to home health with plans to do hospice, that was 10 years ago, now I want to teach. This is one of the cool things about being a nurse you can change without starting over

good luck!