So you want to be a nurse. Fantastic! You have visions of saving lives, helping people, and perhaps someone helped you or a family member and it just called you into the field. Perhaps it seemed like a stable profession. Then you got out into what people called the “real world” and whether you are 20 or significantly less youthful, you learned that nursing isn’t that simple. It has variety and you need to decide on a nursing specialty. Oops! I had to learn all these things in my course work but now what? Where do I go from here and how do I decide? I didn’t take a class in that!
Here are a few ideas to get you started along the way, especially if you have no idea as to what you want to specialize in.
- What classes did you enjoy? Where did you thrive? I loved my cardiology and psychology courses and have had the opportunity to work in both arenas. What did you really love? Why? Was there a particular instructor who said you had an affinity for a specialty? On the flip side, don’t let one poorly handled class turn you off of what could be a great rofession either.
- Clinical rotation. I did very well in theory of maternal/newborn and pediatrics. However, when I got to clinical rotation, I learned that I should not work with either group. I am too sensitive to work with people who lose a child in Maternal. I have low tolerance for poorly managed parents in pediatrics. Plus, being a parent, I know what I am like when my child is ill; I would not want to deal with a few dozen of myself all day long.
- Work in the float pool. My recommendation is either in a hospital or major clinic with a multidisciplinary setting. Float nurses are sent wherever there is a need. When you are the float, you get experience in all areas. You are the interim nurse in any given specialty for vacations. There you can learn the idiosyncrasies and what you do and do not enjoy for each one. Do this for a year or two post graduations.
- Ask your instructors, classmates and professional acquaintances. I tend to steer clear from friends and family. They are skewed in their view of you and your career in nursing. The prior group knows nursing and you, so what do they see? How do they view you? Remember, this is just to get ideas. Try to work within a positive atmosphere.
- Think outside of the box. Do you like the legal system? Think legal nurse consulting. What about forensics? Forensic nursing. Remember some specialties take additional course work and clinical rotation time. Ask a local nurse in this field if you can tag along on a typical day. Buy them a cup of coffee and pick their brain. See if this is something you would be interested in doing. Nursing is not all hospitals anymore.