Nurses-what made you choose your specific specialty?

Hey Rebecca! I'm so excited to hear that you're interested in pursuing nursing. It is definitely an extremely rewarding career where you learn something new every day and are in a position to make an impact that matters. My best personal advice, especially prior to beginning school, is to keep an open mind!! When I started nursing school I was certain I wanted to specialize in women's health, but when I got to my OB/GYN clinical rotation, I hated it! It wasn't until I got to pediatrics where it all clicked, and I was reminded why I wanted to become a nurse in the first place. My favorite part about pediatrics is the family-centered care approach, forming bonds with not only the patients but also their parents/families is really special. I also worked in pediatric critical care, where family-centered care was still extremely important, but I wanted more of a challenging fast-paced setting. I enjoy the vital details to pediatric care. The pediatric field is such a dynamic field to work in- new research and technology is being discovered every day with capabilities to improve the lives of children for generations to come. I hope this answers your question!

Hi Emily!

Nursing is such a great profession. I work in Med/Surg Adult ICU. I chose my specialty because it felt like home. I started as a CNA in an ICU and once I overcame my fear of super sick patients, everything started to click. I love the complexity of illnesses, autonomy as nurse, and problem-solving the that my patients require. I like to describe ICU nursing as putting together pieces of a really complex puzzle with pieces missing under a time crunch. It takes someone that is cool under pressure, is detail-oriented and loves a challenging job. It sounds scary, but with training, experience and a great team; it's the only specialty I know I'll thrive in. I hope this helps!

If you are leaning towards one specialty over another, I would recommend getting your CNA license and working to see what nursing is like in that specialty. It helps with the transition from student nurse to practicing nurse as well.

Good luck!