Have you been wondering how to pick a specialty as a new nurse? One of the great benefits of travel nursing is the ability to try out different specialties in a variety of healthcare settings. After your first few assignments, however, you might want to think about specializing. Specialized travel nurses can open up a variety of new opportunities to you and might even allow you to secure more lucrative contracts.
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Why pick a specialty as a new nurse?
Just like with new staff nurses, eventually in your travel nurse career it makes sense to pick a specialty. Depending on your goals, you might consider looking into which specialties interest you most, pay the most or in the highest demand.
One way to help you determine what specialization you want to pick is to first become a new float nurse. A float nurse will “float” between departments and units. If you’re able to find a travel nursing assignment that will allow you to do this the most important thing you can do is pay attention and ask questions. This is your time to audit different specialties and find out as much as you can about the work, the lifestyle and the demands of a particular type of nursing.
When Should I Choose a Nursing Specialty?
It is important to choose a nursing specialty when you have had experience on that unit. Many new graduates will choose a specialty they never had a clinical in during nursing school, take the job after passing NCLEX, and end up disliking it. Be sure to ask your faculty before you graduate if you have your heart set on a specialty that is not already included in your clinical. You will want to try out as many specialties as you can in order to see what you like and what you do not like. That way, you can gain some experience of what the true day-to-day life as a nurse on each unit is like.
You do not have to choose a specialty until after you graduate and you start applying. You can always float to other units, try something different during your career, and advance your studies to try new areas of nursing as well.
The opportunities are truly endless, you do not ever have to feel “stuck”.
Factors To Consider When Picking Your Specialty as A New Nurse
1. Consider Your Preferences As You Pick Your Specialty As A New Nurse
As you are picking your specialty as a new nurse remember this: you can be as skilled as any specialty nurse, but if your personality and lifestyle preferences don’t match up with the demands of the job, you’ll never be fully satisfied with your travel nurse specialty. There are so many opportunities out there for every type of personality, you just have to know what you want! Are you an adrenaline junkie, easily bored and live for excitement? You might want to consider emergency medicine or a telemetry unit. Do you prefer a more “regular” schedule versus a hospital schedule? Try out-patient medical settings! Want to work with kids? Pediatric nursing is for you! The possibilities are endless as long as you are honest with yourself about what you can and want to handle and what your goals are.
2. Consider the Demand for Travel Nurses As You Pick Your Specialty As A New Nurse
There is no denying that travel nurses are in demand all over the world. Staffing shortages and a pandemic have led to healthcare settings having unprecedented numbers of open positions. However, you’ll find that certain units and settings have more demand for nurses than others – and they are often willing to pay top dollar to get those most desperately needed positions filled.
3. Travel Nurse Specialties Are Highest In Demand?
Emergency Room (ER) Travel Nursing
ER nursing is a travel nurse specialty that’s more and more in demand all the time, and it requires nurses who are quick on their feet. These nurses will encounter patients who could be in critical condition and have life-threatening injuries. If you thrive in a fast-paced and high-energy environment, then this is the specialty for you.
Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Travel Nursing
ICU nursing is one of the most well-respected travel nurse specialties in the healthcare industry. ICU nurses have to be confident and knowledgeable to work through conditions that are always changing and always challenging. They are responsible for life-threatening situations, such as patients who have experienced significant surgeries, car accidents, trauma, or organ failure. They also manage day-to-day tasks like patients’ medication or their ventilatory support.
Medical-Surgical Travel Nursing
Medical-surgical nursing (sometimes referred to as med-surg) is one of the top travel nurse specialities in the nation. Med-surge nurses provide critical care to patients who are recovering from surgery or who are dealing with a medical condition that requires ongoing treatment. They may work in a hospital setting, a long-term care facility, or a clinic. Because this particular specialty offers so many settings, these contracts are fairly easy to get and the opportunities are plentiful.
Want to switch specialties as a new nurse?
One of the best parts of being a travel nurse is the ability to switch it up every couple of months. You can try out a few different specialties before committing to one for the long haul. This is just one of the many benefits of travel nursing over staff nursing. So what are you waiting for? Get started on your travel nursing career today with the Wanderly search tool!