Select Your Nursing Specialty

Answer 1

Nursing is a very useful and rewarding profession. This is a growing field, and nurses are employed by many different institutions and companies. Many decide to choose a nursing specialty. There are a few things to consider when selecting a specialty.

Preferred Work Environment

A nurse will need to decide where he wants to work. This is a variable, flexible profession. With employment opportunities ranging from large hospitals to caring for patients in their homes, there are plenty of options regarding one's work environment.

Many different nursing specialties are employed in hospitals. Burn, emergency care, intensive care and cardiac nurses may all work in a hospital along with those without a specialty. The home care specialty is an excellent choice for those who prefer to work with a patient and his family alone in a home setting. Those who would like to work in a psychiatric hospital may want to choose to specialize in psychiatric care or mental health.

Responsibilities and Stress

There are some nursing specialties that may be more stressful than others. For example, an emergency care nurse is more likely to deal with intense situations than a rehabilitation nurse. Some nurses may prefer to work under pressure to save a patient's life, while others enjoy a more controlled setting. A few nursing specialties actually require very little contact with patients. Legal nurses use their healthcare expertise as consultants for legal cases, and quality management nurses focus on improving current nursing procedures.

Interests and Preferences

Nurses may also select a specialization based on their own interests and personal preferences. Those who have an interest in planes and helicopters as well as healthcare may choose to become flight nurses. Individuals who love working with children often choose pediatric nursing or school nursing. Forensic and correctional nurses typically have an interest in the justice system. Many prefer working in a specific part of the healthcare field. Oncology, trauma and orthopedic nursing are a few of the possible specializations.

Amount of Education Required

Finally, some nurses make a choice based the amount of education and certification required for a nursing specialty. Chemotherapy training is often required for oncology nurses, and a nurse anesthetist is also usually required to complete plenty of extra training. Some may not want be willing to use additional time and money to achieve these specializations, while others will consider the benefits more important than the initial cost. These are just a few of the things that should be considered before choosing a nursing specialty.