Which Nursing Specialties are Best For You? Quick Quiz!

Which areas of practice are right for you? Ask yourself a few quick questions and get started on your journey to the perfect fit.

In the past, new RN grads almost always started out on a medical surgical floor, but that has changed. Primarily because medical surgical nursing has become a specialty unto itself, requiring its own set of skills. Additionally, other hospital units also need new grads. Depending on your level of experience and your work history, travel nursing presents a unique opportunity to be exposed to new specialties and see which ones are a good fit. So, ask yourself...

Some nurses just love a code ... while others would rather stick 16 gauge needles under their fingernails than go through an ACLS algorithm. If you like the idea of multiple codes, or the challenge of dealing with patients who are getting sick (and getting sick fast), you might want consider working in the emergency room. Not only will you treat traumatic injuries - from the common to the highly unusual, you'll also see many patients in urgent need of care, such as those in cardiac arrest.

Adrenaline junkies are also a great fit for the intensive care units, including Cardiovascular ICU , Neonatal ICU, Pediatric ICU, and Medical ICU. Patients in these units get sick at an alarming rate, and a you'll always have to be prepared for action. Finally, you may also want to try the Cath Lab for an exercise in adrenaline. You never know what will roll through the door, and the patients have a propensity for arresting with no warning.

Nine to five jobs are difficult to find in the travel nursing world. However, you can find some if you are willing to take call. For instance, some operating room nurses work nine to five on scheduled cases, and then they are on call for emergency cases once or twice per month. This will give you the time you want with your family, yet it will still allow you to work in an in-demand nursing field. Another closely related nursing specialty is post anesthesia care unit nursing. Again, you would work the scheduled cases during the day, but take call for emergencies as a PACU nurse.

The best way to work nine to five is to get into a same day surgery unit or center. As you might expect, many nurses want these positions, so you may need a little experience first. If you can get in, though, you can work as an intake nurse, an OR nurse, or a PACU nurse on days without needing to take call.

If you're an RN who wants to see a bit of everything, and there are plenty of specialties that can allow you to do that. To see the most diverse patients, opt for medical-surgical nursing. You will see everything from renal patients to post-op colostomies. You will learn quick and accurate assessment skills, how to organize yourself, and how to prioritize patients as a travel RN in this nurse specialty.

If you've also got some technical aptitude, telemetry nursing may be the way for you. With telemetry nursing, you will see a wide variety of patients, from neurology patients to post open heart patients. You'll develop expertise with the monitoring devices and also use your clinical skills to treat patients.

Some people just can’t handle the idea of kids suffering, but many RNs devote their careers to saving children’s lives. If you want to help kids as a travel RN, you can choose from a wide variety of specialties. General pediatric nursing is a great place to get your feet wet and gives you an idea of the specialty. It is rather like medical surgical for kids.

You could also work in the pediatric ICU, if you want to help children who are very ill. Mother baby nursing, labor and delivery nursing, and neonatal ICU nursing are other ways you can help children who are ill or coming into the world. Seasoned travelers may have the chance to work in specialties that focus on children, adults or the elderly. The trick is finding the right one -- or ones -- for you.