Nursing Specialties

 Maybe you are a nursing student, still studying for anatomy exams and wondering which of the many fields of nursing will be your calling. Or, maybe you’re a few years into your career and realizing that you’re not done learning yet- you want to explore different specialties, or you’re still trying to find your niche. In this blog post, we’ve compiled some of the most common nursing specialties, including whether or not they involve additional education or certification.

Medical-Surgical: Often one of the first clinical rotations in a BSN program, Med-Surg nursing is concerned with the care of adult patients in preparation for or recovery from surgery. It’s one of the largest areas of nursing, and often a good starting point for a young nurse to soak in knowledge about a variety of illnesses, conditions, procedures, and treatments.

LABOR & DELIVERY: L&D nurses care for patients through early labor, delivery, and immediate post partum; and is often considered to be one of the most rewarding fields of nursing. L&D nurses are also unique in that they care for two patients at once: the new parent and the baby. These nurses assist with pain management during labor, administer medications such as epidurals, and coach new parents through the first breastfeeding.

NEONATAL : An RN working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) assesses, monitors, and cares for fragile newborns. This is a subspecialty, and nurses in the NICU specialize in treating infants with defections, infections, cardiac malformations, surgical problems, and prematurity. It is important to note that while most nurses working in the NICU are neonatal nurses, not all neonatal nurses work in the NICU.

PSYCHIATRIC: The Psychiatric RN specializes in mental healthcare. Psychiatric mental health RNs work with families, individuals, groups, and communities to assess their mental health needs. The PMH nurse is involved in a nursing diagnosis and plan of care, implementing it, and evaluating it for effectiveness. Many PMHNs are certified through additional training after graduation. 

APRN/FNP: Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and Family Nurse Practitioners require advanced degrees in nursing, often an MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) or a DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice). These nurses typically specialize in a specific field and lead care delivery for patients. While regulations vary from state to state, most Nurse Practitioners practice without supervision and can run their own practices independently. Likewise, APRNs take on leadership roles in hospitals and care facilities. Common examples include a Nurse Midwife, PMHNP (Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner), etc.

COMMUNITY NURSING/PUBLIC HEALTH: Public Health nurses care for populations as opposed to individual patients. They are instrumental in community health education and public health initiatives, often working with underserved and marginalized populations. Nurses who move into community and public health nursing also often become involved in healthcare policy, acting as advocates for gaining access to resources, increasing access to care, and improving community health as a whole.

NURSE ANESTHETIST: The nurse anesthetist is an APRN who administers anesthesia for surgery or other procedures, as well as overseeing recovery from it post-op. Certification involves experience as an acute care RN, as well as passing a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) exam.