New nurses often find that choosing a specific career path that maximizes their strengths can be taxing, especially when there is no outline of the many in-demand nursing specialties they can choose.

There is an extensive list of careers in the nursing profession. General nursing is challenging enough, but getting more specialized in any profession is always an added advantage because you get higher pay, you are more in demand and closer to your passion.

So, we have rounded up a number of specialized nursing careers for your selection.

Obstetrics and gynecology nursing

In obstetrics and gynecology, nurses focus on caring for women before pregnancy, during pregnancy, during childbirth, and every care associated with postpartum.

Neonatal and neonatal intensive care nursing

These nurses train specially for newborns. The training qualifies them to provide immediate care for severely ill and premature infants. As long as the newborn is in the hospital, they remain under the supervision of the neonatal nurses.

Pediatric nursing

Nurses choose this career path because of their love for children and wellness. Pediatric nurses work with children and adolescents, performing physical exams and giving insight and comfort to the children and their families.

Geriatric nursing

Geriatric nurses acquire the skill to care for older adults. So, they imbibe unique abilities to deal with older adults’ illnesses like dementia, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease and others.

Orthopedic nursing

Orthopedic nurses train to be efficient with anything that has to do with the muscles and bones. They help people recover from musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Psychiatric nursing

In this discipline, nurses learn about mental health and substance abuse to care for patients suffering any devastating effects. Psychiatric nurses help provide emotional support and ensure treatment plans follow the psychiatrist’s instructions.

Oncology nursing

Oncology has to do with cancer treatment. Therefore, nurses veering into oncology must prepare for a lengthy period of patient care and treatment. This requires a person with a high level of commitment and resilience.

Cardiovascular nursing

Cardiovascular nurses have advanced learning of the heart and its muscles. This knowledge makes them indispensable during heart surgeries, post-surgery, treatment administration, checkups and educating patients.

Trauma nursing

Trauma nurses can function outside an organized system, which is why you will find them working in war zones. They are prepared to handle pressure and withstand the most hectic working conditions.

Hospice care nursing

Nurses in hospice care must be accommodating and emotionally embracing because hospice care involves terminally ill patients and seniors at the end of their lives.

Toxicology nursing

Poisoned patients in urgent need of medical attention would undoubtedly be grateful to nurses that are certified poison information specialists. Toxicology nurses are found mainly in the emergency room (ER) and intensive care unit (ICU).

Sexual assault examination nursing

Nurses specializing in sexual assault cases know to listen and observe while administering treatment simultaneously. They are investigative and caring at the same time.

Plastic surgery nursing

Plastic surgeries are varied and carried out for different reasons, all of which plastic surgery nurses must know, so that patients can feel safe and comfortable with them.

Pain management nursing

Pain management is a branch of medicine that requires a carer to be incredibly empathetic. Trained nurses educate patients going through chronic pain on various methods to mitigate their pain, such as yoga and acupuncture.

Ophthalmic nursing

Nurses in Ophthalmology train to have a complete understanding of the eye. They learn to help the ophthalmologist during diagnosis, surgery, and subsequent post-surgery care.

How to choose the right specialty in nursing

As a graduate seeking a master’s degree in nursing, you can get it while working by applying for online MSN programs. You can complete a program in two years and eight months, with a dedicated advisor to help all through its duration.

As you apply, choose your specialty based on what you took a liking to during your nursing school clinical experiences. Pursuing your passion would make you ask questions like:

  • What are my interests?
  • Do I crack under pressure?
  • Do I enjoy communicating with people?
  • Does it get boring staying in one place for a while?
  • Am I a patient person?

Answering these questions and many others you may come up with will enable you to choose suitably. If it happens that you are not satisfied with your choice, the nursing profession is flexible enough to allow you to choose something else.