How To Find Your Nursing Specialty

If you're a nurse or becoming a nurse you're probably wondering what your options are based on position responsibilities and education and what that means for your paycheck. That's where nursing specialties come in. Nursing Specialties allow nurses to work in a field that they're interested in and prefer. For every unique nurse, there is a nursing specialty to match your personality and passions.‍

What are Nursing Specialties?

Nursing specializations are nursing positions that require varying knowledge, education, or experience to practice. These specializations have evolved as the nursing profession has grown and allow nurses to build expertise in different areas of nursing. Specialties can be separated by patient age, demographic, location, type of care, salary, education, and more.

How to Choose a Nursing Specialty:

Choosing a nursing specialty can help you build a life that aligns your professional work with your passions and interests. If you don't have an area of medical care that you're particularly interested in you can support a specific demographic or follow high demand (and likely high salaries).

Reflect on past clinical rotations and ask yourself what the day-to-day care, workflow, and patient populations looked like. Think about what kind of work environment you enjoyed, fast-paced or more relaxed and chatty? It's also important to consider professional growth - will this specialty satisfy me professionally by challenging me and providing mental problem-solving? It may help to create a pros and cons list. Consider the following: education requirements, career advancement, certifications, salary, specialty responsibilities, common diagnoses, care setting, and location.

What are my Options?

Nomad currently offers jobs in 20 unique nursing specialty options, here's a breakdown of each one:

Want to take a closer look at Nomad's jobs? Start exploring your options now.

Top 5 Highest Paying Nurse Specialties for 2021

Check out the top-paying Nurse Specialties for 2021 according to Nursing School Hub.

How to Change Specialties:

Changing specialties can be a daunting or scary task, but finding a new nursing passion is an exciting opportunity. A great way to find out if a new specialty is right for you is to ask the hiring manager or supervisor at your facility if you can try out a few shifts as an extra in a new department. This way you can test out a role before committing to a full assignment.

1. Network: Another great way to learn more about positions you're interested in is to network with fellow nurses. Look for opportunities where different departments intersect in your facility and get involved. This is an easy way to talk to nurses with different specialties and gain a better sense of what to expect and experience in that role.
2. Do your research: Many specialties have social media groups where you can learn a lot about their everyday life from questions, comments, and support. You can also look through job listings to find different specializations and read each job's specific responsibilities.
3. Continue your education: If you're interested in changing your specialty, you may need more education. For nursing specialties such as a nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist, you will need to invest in learning. When choosing a specialty it is important to consider how an online or in-person program will fit into your life and study habits. Nomad wants to encourage nurses to continue their education and will reimburse any licensing or certification required for Nomad jobs. Learn more about Nomad's benefits.
4. Take a look at your resume: Lastly, it's time to update your resume. Even if you don't have all the qualifications for the specialty you're interested in, it is still crucial to update and focus your resume. Think about updating your listed skills to better highlight positions you're interested in and include things like how you're a quick learner, flexible, and open to trying new things.

Ready to start looking for your next assignment?
Start searching for jobs.

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Sources:

https://www.nursingschoolhub.com/highest-paying-nursing-specialties/

https://www.trustedhealth.com/blog/changing-your-nursing-specialty

https://www.jobhero.com/resume/examples/nursing/

https://www.nursingexplorer.com/careers/case-management-nurse

https://www.fastaff.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/skills_checklists/intermediate_adult.pdf

https://www.incrediblehealth.com/nurse-types/icu-nurse/

https://nursing.jnj.com/specialty/telemetry-nurse

https://www.betterteam.com/nicu-nurse-job-description

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