Choosing a career in nursing is a great choice by many different measures, and all paths within the field help people, provide exciting work environments, and also have a lot of benefits, including job security and good pay.
Within the field, though, are many different specialties, and deciding which one to pursue on your nursing career journey is a task that should be researched and weighed out.
From understanding the differences between RNs and BSNs, to deciding where you’d like to work, and many things in between, decisions for aspiring nurses are plentiful, and here are some aspects to consider when deciding which specialty path to pursue:
1. Self Checklist
A career is something that should be pursued with moral goals in mind, and with that, it’s important to first ask yourself why you chose to be a nurse when deciding which specialty to pursue.
Some simple examples would be: nurses who wanted to help children should look into pediatric fields as a focus, and nurses who want to help with mental health should follow that feeling when choosing a focus.
2. Level of Human Interaction
Some nurses see literally hundreds of patients each day, and some may only see one or two. With remote work options at an all-time high, the reality of physically interacting with no one is also a possibility for nurses in 2021.
Looking ahead a few years is important too, as you may be excited to work with people now, but do you think you will in three years?
3. Further Education
Both personal and financial aspects should come into play when deciding how far you’d like to go with education.
Some leadership and training positions within nursing may require certification in education, so be sure to weigh things like that, as well as the fact that some jobs may require master’s degrees or even doctorates in order to advance within the field.
4. Pressure
Some people work extremely well under pressure and find a greater sense of fulfillment when achieving something against a clock… and some dread those situations.
In nursing, there are options aplenty for both, with some of the most stressful jobs in any industry existing in nursing, but also some very mellow work environments exist for nurses.
5. Tech Savvy?
Some nursing jobs require frequent work on state-of-the-art equipment, which much like pressure, can be great for some and horrible for others.
Be sure you’re ready to work with tech and have a lot of training if you choose a field that requires frequent machine use.
6. Location
One of the many perks of nursing is that most nursing jobs exist pretty much anywhere in the country, and even abroad.
Some very specific specialties, however, may limit your locale options, so be sure to weigh that specialty if you also want to have the option of moving anywhere, or even being a travel nurse.
Win-Win and No Dead Ends
Most nurses report that they enjoy their specialty, even those who wound up on a path that wasn’t their first choice for whatever reason.
With that, the fact that the core aspects of helping people and having a job that makes a difference make it easy for most nurses to find joy in their chosen field.
However, there are certainly cases where a poor choice was made, and luckily, making a lateral move in nursing is not particularly difficult, and many hospitals will cover the costs of the training and education required to make the change.
