DiversityNursing Blog

May is mental health awareness month, a time to raise awareness and promote education about mental health, as well as reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Did you know, 1 in 5 American adults experience a mental health condition in a given year?

• Get enough sleep: Aim to get 7-8 hours of sleep.
• Eat a healthy diet: Make sure to eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.
• Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water.
• Exercise regularly: Aim to get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week.
• Take breaks: Take short breaks throughout your day to rest and recharge.
• Practice mindfulness: Try incorporating mindfulness exercises into your daily routine, such as deep breathing or meditation.
• Connect with colleagues: Connect with colleagues who understand the challenges of being a Nurse. You can talk to them about work-related stress and share coping strategies.
• Seek professional help: If you're struggling with your mental health, seek professional help from a mental health provider. This can be a therapist, psychiatrist, or psychologist.
• Use employee assistance programs: Many healthcare organizations offer employee assistance programs that provide confidential counseling and support services.
• Set boundaries: It's important to set boundaries and say no to additional responsibilities if you're feeling overwhelmed.
• Pursue hobbies and interests: Make time for activities that bring you joy and help you relax, such as reading, listening to music, or practicing a hobby.
• Take care of your physical appearance: Dress in clothes that make you feel comfortable and confident, and take pride in your appearance.
• Practice gratitude: Take time each day to reflect on what you're grateful for, whether it's a supportive colleague, a successful patient outcome, or simply the beauty of nature.

Resources

• Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Many hospitals and healthcare facilities offer EAPs that provide free, confidential counseling services to employees.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): NAMI offers support groups, educational resources, and advocacy for individuals and families affected by mental illness.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): SAMHSA offers a national helpline, treatment referral service, and resources for mental health and substance abuse disorders.
• Crisis Text Line: This free, 24/7 text messaging service provides support for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Text "HOME" to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
• Mindfulness apps: Apps like Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer offer guided meditations and mindfulness exercises to help reduce stress and improve mental well-being.

Remember, self-care is an ongoing process, and it's important to make it a priority in your life. By taking care of yourself, you'll be better equipped to care for your patients and thrive in your career as a Nurse.

Healthcare should be accessible to everyone regardless of socioeconomic status, age, gender, race, or ethnicity. Unfortunately, many people across the nation struggle to access affordable and reliable healthcare. Health equity can only be achieved when every person, regardless of the situation, has a fair and equal opportunity to be as healthy as possible.

Many factors can influence health equity, including health disparities, social determinants of health, and cultural competence. Therefore, Nurses must understand these concepts strongly to identify health inequalities and implement changes so our patients can achieve optimal health.

Health Disparities

Unfortunately, health disparities in the United States are more common than you may realize. Health disparities are any barriers that limit a person's access to quality medical care. Population groups most affected by health disparities include ethnic minorities, immigrants, and low-income families. Common barriers that people may experience include socioeconomic status, geological location, sexual identity or orientation, ethnicity, race, age, or disability.

Health disparities can look different for everyone. For example, some people may live in rural areas where they cannot easily access routine health exams. Others may need help understanding health recommendations due to language barriers. Whatever the disadvantage, health disparities can lead to poor health outcomes that negatively contribute to health equity.  

Nurses have a unique advantage in identifying health disparities and implementing changes so that more people can access care. There are many ways Nurses can implement change, including:

• Supporting telehealth and mobile health units so people in rural areas can access medical services
• Ensuring patients have access to interpreter services so they fully understand medical recommendations
• Creating community health projects so those in under-educated populations can better access health education.

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

Social determinants of health can often be confused with health disparities. Although similar, SDOH refers to an individual's personal circumstances apart from medical care and genetics that can affect health outcomes.

Social determinants of health fall into 5 groups that define how people are born, grow, work, live, and age. These groups are interwoven, causing them all to overlap and relate to each other. The five groups include healthcare, economic stability, education, social life, and neighborhood.

• Healthcare encompasses a person's access and quality of medical care, including access to primary care services, health insurance coverage, and understanding of health literacy.
• Economic stability is the connection between finances and access to healthcare. Employment, poverty, food, and housing security can all affect economic stability and access to healthcare.
• Education focuses on the link between access to quality education and how it relates to health. People who do not have access to secondary or higher education may not have the necessary language and literacy to understand medical needs and care.
• Social life has contributed to learned behaviors around healthcare access. How people live, work, play, and learn within their communities can change how people feel about medical care.
• The neighborhood considers how a person's quality of housing, transportation, access to healthy foods and clean water, as well as exposure to crime and violence play a role in a person's health.

Nurses play a significant role in addressing social determinants of health. You can promote health equity by getting involved in public policies and decision making. Advocating for better care can help prevent illness in underserved populations and improve health equity for all.

Cultural Competence

A strong understanding of cultural competency is essential to achieve health equity. Cultural competency is when healthcare providers provide effective healthcare, even if there may be cultural differences between the provider and the patient.

Nurses can become more culturally competent by learning to engage with a wide range of patients with different cultural, religious, and societal backgrounds. Nurses can show cultural competency by speaking to patients in language and terms they understand or by respecting a patient's cultural or religious values or beliefs.

As a Nurse, providing culturally competent Nursing care can break down communication barriers and improve the health outcomes of our patients.

To better serve our communities, Nurses must be able to identify inequalities in healthcare and implement the necessary changes to improve patient experiences and outcomes. Nurses have a unique position on the frontlines of healthcare to positively improve health equity by helping to provide effective and accessible medical care to all.

Nurse gig shifts refer to temporary or short-term Nursing assignments that are often offered through staffing agencies or online apps. These shifts can range in length from a few hours to several weeks or months and are often taken by Nurses who are looking for flexible work arrangements or who want to supplement their income.

Gig shifts can be beneficial for both Nurses and healthcare facilities. Nurses who work gig shifts have the flexibility to choose when and where they work, and they can often earn a higher hourly rate than they would in a traditional full-time position. Healthcare facilities can use gig shifts to fill staffing gaps or to cover unexpected absences, ensuring that patient care is not compromised.

According to The Wall Street Journal, embracing gig apps is one way hospitals and health systems are looking to provide flexibility and fill vacancies. This includes Providence Health.

Providence added gig Nurses last year and has filled 13,000 shifts for Nurses and other medical roles, Mark Smith, who oversees workforce analysis, staffing and optimization for the organization, told The Wall Street Journal. He also told the publication the health system plans to expand gig work from 12 hospitals and Nursing homes to 19.

“We make sure the Nurses who work through the app are thoroughly vetted and have the licenses and certifications required to work on the Nursing unit they’re receiving training to work on, just like our own caregivers do,” Smith explained. “At Providence, we’ve found that Nurses taking assignments through the app fill six shifts per month.”

Among the apps hospitals are adopting are ShiftKey, which lets Nurses bid for shifts, and CareRev, which lets hospitals raise and lower their rates for different shifts. 

However, there are also some potential drawbacks to working gig shifts. These can include inconsistent work schedules, lack of benefits, and a lack of job security. Nurses who work gig shifts may also miss out on opportunities for professional development and career advancement that are more readily available in traditional full-time positions.

Overall, whether or not you should pursue gig shifts depends on your personal goals and priorities. It's important to carefully consider the pros and cons of gig work as well as research potential employers and platforms before accepting any assignments.

There is a growing need for more Nurse Educators to address the current shortage of Nurses and ensure the future generations of Nurses are well-trained and prepared to provide quality care.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections 2021-2031, the Registered Nursing (RN) workforce is expected to grow by 6% over the next decade. The RN workforce is expected to grow from 3.1 million in 2021 to 3.3 million in 2031, an increase of 195,400 Nurses. The Bureau also projects 203,200 openings for RNs each year through 2031 when Nurse retirements and workforce exits are factored into the number of Nurses needed in the U.S.
 
The Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) workforce, including Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Anesthetists, and Nurse Midwives, is expected to grow much faster than average for all occupation, by 40% from 2021 through 2031, according to the BLS’ Occupational Outlook Handbook. Approximately 30,200 new APRNs, which are prepared in master’s and doctoral programs, will be needed each year through 2031 to meet the rising demand for care.

Nurse Educators play a vital role in the education and training of Nursing students and are responsible for developing and delivering curriculum, designing and implementing clinical experiences, and evaluating student progress.

The shortage of Nurse Educators at Nursing schools across the country are limiting student capacity at a time when the need for Nurses continues to grow.

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), budget constraints, an aging faculty, and increasing job competition from clinical sites have contributed to this crisis.

However, increasing the number of Nurse Educators is critical to addressing the Nursing shortage and ensuring that there are enough qualified Nurses to meet the needs of patients. 

There are several strategies that can be implemented to increase the number of Nurse Educators:

Increase Funding

Providing increased funding for Nursing education programs can help schools hire additional faculty and offer competitive salaries and benefits packages.

It's recommended, Congress pass legislation that would invest in Nursing faculty, clinical placements, and Nursing program facilities so that colleges and universities have the resources to enroll and graduate more students. 

Tuition Forgiveness

Providing tuition forgiveness or loan repayment programs for Nurses who pursue advanced degrees in Nursing education can help incentivize Nurses to become Educators. Learn more about loan forgiveness or loan repayment programs here. 

Mentorship Programs

Providing mentorship programs to support new Nurse Educators can help with their retention and success in the field. These programs are meant to encourage mutual professional growth between both the mentor and the mentee through a dynamic and supportive relationship.

Flexible Scheduling

People everywhere are demanding a shift toward work-life balance. Healthcare professionals are constantly working long hours, with little to no flexibility in their schedules. Offering flexible scheduling options can help attract individuals who may be interested in teaching but have other commitments, such as family or outside work.

Professional Development

Nurse Educators are tasked with nurturing the growth and education of Nurses, but they also need opportunities for growth and development. Offering opportunities for ongoing professional development, such as attending conferences or pursuing advanced degrees, can help keep Nurse Educators up-to-date on the latest Nursing practices and research.

Collaborations with Healthcare Facilities

Partnerships between Nursing schools and healthcare facilities can help provide clinical experiences for Nursing students and provide opportunities for Nurses to transition into teaching roles.

Katie Boston-Leary, PhD, RN, Director of Nursing programs at the American Nurses Association, told Becker's Hospital Review, she views it as "building a bridge" between schools and hospitals to train Nurses in real-world healthcare situations. Additionally, she said, growing an in-house team of Nurse Educators provides a pipeline for hospitals who can be actively involved in cultivating their own future workforces.

By implementing these strategies, Nursing schools and healthcare organizations can work together to address the shortage of Nurse Educators and make sure future generations of Nurses receive the education and training they need to provide high-quality patient care.

Maternal health disparities are a significant problem in the United States. Women in America are dying at a higher rate from pregnancy-related causes than in any other developed nation. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.

According to the Center for Health Care Strategies, Black infants are more than twice as likely to die within the first year of life as white infants. Native Americans/Alaska Natives, Asian Pacific Islanders, and subgroups of Latina women and children also fare worse than white families when it comes to maternal and child health outcomes.

Reducing racial disparities in maternal health requires a multilayered approach that addresses the underlying social causes of health and institutional racism.

Here are some strategies that could help erase racial disparities in maternal health:

Increase Access to High-Quality Prenatal Care

Black women are less likely to receive early and regular prenatal care than white women, which can lead to higher rates of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Improving access to high-quality prenatal care can help reduce these disparities.

Address Structural Racism in Healthcare

Structural racism in healthcare, including implicit bias among healthcare providers, contributes to maternal health disparities. This racism means African American women often receive poorer quality care than white women. It means the denial of care when African American women seek help when enduring pain or that health care and social service providers fail to treat them with dignity and respect. This issue requires training healthcare providers to recognize and address their own biases and implementing policies that promote equity, culturally competent care and justice.

Increase Awareness and Education

Raising awareness of these disparities and educating the public, healthcare providers, and policy makers can help reduce disparities. This includes addressing the impact of systemic racism and the social determinants of health that contribute to poor maternal health outcomes.

Address Social Determinants of Health

Social determinants of health, such as poverty, lack of access to healthy food and safe housing, and limited access to transportation, can all impact maternal health outcomes. Improving these underlying issues can positively impact maternal health outcomes for all women.

Invest in Maternal Health Research

Investing in research on maternal health disparities can help identify effective approaches and programs. This includes studying the impact of implicit bias, the effectiveness of community-based interventions, and the impact of policies that address social determinants of health.

In conclusion, racial disparities in maternal health is complex and cannot be resolved overnight. This requires a comprehensive approach that addresses underlying social determinants of health and institutional racism. By implementing these strategies, we can work towards improving maternal health outcomes for all women, regardless of race.

As Nurses, death can be a regular, everyday occurrence. But just because we encounter death frequently does not mean that experiencing the loss of a patient won't impact us. In this profession, we care for people when they are at their most vulnerable, and we create meaningful relationships with many of our patients and their families.

When we lose a patient, it’s common for Nurses to experience grief and it can be challenging to navigate the grief you feel. Here are some ways to help you cope with the loss of a patient.

Acknowledge the Loss

Losing a patient is just as real as losing any other person in your life. Try not to minimize the impact the loss of a patient has made on your life. Allow yourself the time to feel your feelings and emotions.

It is normal to experience emotions of sadness, anger, shock, or even disbelief. Some Nurses may also experience physical changes in response to the loss, such as trouble sleeping, nausea and fatigue, anger, or poor concentration. Acknowledging the loss and honoring the person's life can help you move past your grief.

Find Support

Finding support from your peers, colleagues, friends, and family is essential for coping with the loss of a patient. Having a good support system allows you to express your feelings of grief and helps you get some of the emotions you are experiencing off your chest.  

For example, many facilities offer briefings after a patient is lost so that all healthcare team members can express their thoughts and feelings and discuss how to improve patient care in the future. In addition, some Nurses may find that speaking with a therapist or grief counselor can help them navigate feelings and offer support after experiencing the loss of a patient.

Practice Self-Care

Grief can often manifest itself physically, so it is essential to prioritize your physical health after losing a patient. Nurses should get adequate sleep, eat healthy, and exercise regularly to maintain their physical well-being. In addition, some Nurses find that meditating or practicing yoga can help heal the mind and body.  

Take a Break

Death is an emotional experience, and as Nurses, we are only human. It is not unreasonable to feel all the emotions surrounding the loss of a patient. It is OK to take a break when things get tough. If you are overwhelmed with emotions after losing a patient on the job, it’s ok to take a break to cry, take a walk, or call a friend to talk. It is important to care for your personal needs so you can get back to taking the best care of your patients.

Coping with the loss of a patient can be challenging, but the first step in learning to cope is acknowledging that grief is a normal reaction to any loss. Acknowledging your feelings, seeking support, practicing self-care, and knowing when you need to take a break can help prevent Nurses from experiencing burnout and get you back to providing your patients with excellent patient care.

Congratulations on starting your Nursing career! Here are some pieces of advice that may help you as a new Nurse:

Never stop learning

Nursing is a constantly evolving field and there are always new things to learn. Attend continuing education classes, read Nursing journals, go to Nursing conferences, join Nursing associations, and stay up-to-date on the latest research.

Get to know your teammates 

Don't hesitate breaking the ice, introduce yourself, others are probably wondering who this new person is! Once you get to know everyone, try keeping a close group of people you can rely on and talk to when need be. Every one needs a helping hand or shoulder to lean on time and again. 

Sara Lentz DNP, MSN, RN, CNL at Heritage Dignity Health said, "Get to know everyone you work with, from the top to the bottom of the organizational structure. It doesn’t matter if someone is cooking, providing bedside care, or a chief — everybody is there for a common goal and a part of your work family.”

Don't be afraid to ask questions

As a new Nurse, it's okay to not know everything. Ask your colleagues and mentors for help when you need it.

Mary Erickson, RN, Clinical Care Leader at Sanford Health said, "Even after 34 years in the ICU, there is still plenty for me to learn and there will be for you, too. A Nurse who asks a lot of questions and continues to expand their knowledge and expertise will undoubtedly provide good, quality care to patients."

Be organized

Nursing can be a busy and demanding profession, so it's important to be organized. Develop a system for keeping track of your tasks, and prioritize your to-do list. Try taking notes or use a Nursing report sheet, so you can ensure you're always on top of your game.

Stay calm

One of the most important things a new Nurse can do is to remain calm under pressure. When difficult situations arise, it is a Nurse’s job to provide a sense of calm for their patients and their families.

Develop good communication skills

Effective communication is essential in Nursing. Learn how to communicate clearly and effectively with your colleagues, patients, and their families.

“Look at your patient so you notice their nonverbal communication. Find ways to assess fine motor skill where they don’t notice it. For example, when working home health have them reach for pen when signing paperwork. My assessment begins the minute I enter their room or when they open the door. Use ALL of your senses! Actively listen to patients and their family," says Nurse Kay.

Take care of yourself

Burnout in Nursing is common as it's a physically and emotionally demanding job. It's critical you take care of yourself. Get enough rest, eat a healthy diet, enjoy your social life, exercise regularly, and find ways to manage stress.

Be compassionate

Don’t ever forget, you're in the profession of caring. It's important to be compassionate toward your patients and their families. Treat each patient as an individual, with their own unique needs, fears, and preferences.

Build a support network

This career can be challenging, so it's important to have a support system of colleagues, friends, and family members who understand what you're going through.

“Being a Nurse will change your life. It changes your outlook on a lot of things--makes you more passionate about some, thankful for some and just down-right mad about others,” Nina Vella, RN, at St. Edward Mercy Medical Center said, adding that the best part of being a Nurse is “getting to genuinely make a difference in someone’s life. When a patient tells you ‘thank you for saving my life,’ you can’t help but to be proud. When you get to watch a patient that you didn’t know would live or not walk out of a hospital and know that you are a part of the reason they can live again, you can’t explain the feeling!”

Nursing is a rewarding profession that allows you to make a real difference in people's lives. With compassion, great communication skills, an inquisitive and confident nature, a good support network, and a commitment to stay healthy both mentally and physically, you will become an excellent Nurse and make a positive impact on the world.

Healthcare providers recognize the crucial role nutritious diets play in promoting and maintaining good health. People with healthy eating patterns live longer and are at lower risk for serious health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. For people with chronic diseases, healthy eating can help manage these conditions and prevent complications.

However, over 30 million people in the U.S. live in food-insecure households – including as many as 9 million children.

Studies have shown that nearly 46% of adults and 56% of children in the U.S. have an overall poor-quality diet and unhealthy diets account for more than $50 billion in U.S. healthcare costs.

The leading grocery technology company in North America, Instacart, wants to help end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases in the U.S. 

The company announced their release of the Instacart Health’s provider products, designed to enhance collaborative care, promote healthy choices and deliver nutritious foods to patients across the country. Through Instacart Health, they’re giving providers the tools required to build virtual food pharmacies and deliver actionable nutrition advice to their patients through their platform.

"We know that access to nutritious foods can deliver healthier outcomes, but a number of challenges have prevented healthcare providers from effectively adopting food as medicine programs at scale. With Instacart Health, we have the unique opportunity to partner with providers to expand proven nutrition programs and more deeply integrate food as medicine into standard patient care," said Sarah Mastrorocco, Vice President and General Manager of Instacart Health. "We're proud to offer these products to help providers expand access to nutritious food and make medically-tailored groceries and meal advice more actionable. Together, we can help patients and their families take an active role in their health through food."

Boston Children's Hospital is among the first health systems to leverage Instacart Health provider products for its patients, establishing new food as medicine programs to help them get the nourishment they need to manage and maintain their health.

"At Boston Children's Hospital, we're committed to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in pediatric health and addressing our patient health needs holistically," said Dr. John Brownstein, Chief Innovation Officer at Boston Children's Hospital. "Together with Instacart Health, we are excited to explore this technology further to help our providers deliver programs serving patients and families with specific dietary needs. Food and nutrition programs are essential to disease treatment and prevention."

Today, Instacart is available to 95% of U.S. households, including 93% of people living in food deserts. And SNAP participants can use their benefits to shop online from more than 10,000 stores across 49 states and Washington D.C. on the Instacart platform. 

"Food desert" is a common phrase used to describe a neighborhood or section of a city where it's hard for people to access healthy food, many of which are low-income communities and communities of color. "Access" is a multi-layered word here — a neighborhood may technically have a grocery store, but it may not be accessible by public transportation.

Instacart partners with more than 1,100 national, regional and local retailers to offer online shopping, delivery and pickup from more than 80,000 stores across North America.

To learn more about Instacart Health visit www.instacart.com/company/health.

Patients become difficult for many different reasons. They sometimes become challenging due to diseases that affect their reasoning, like dementia or Alzheimer’s. Other times, patients can become verbally or physically abusive due to high-stress situations or unmet wants or needs. Regardless of why some patients become difficult, Nurses can help handle and diffuse difficult patient interactions with these 5 helpful tips.

Stay Calm

It may be challenging to stay calm when dealing with a problematic or irrational patient, but controlling your emotions is one of the most important things you can do during a confrontation. Reacting to a patient with anger can only escalate the situation and make it worse.  

When dealing with a difficult patient, remember in most cases, they are only being difficult to get their needs met and not to cause trouble. However, other times, patients may be misdirecting their feelings of fear or uncertainty onto you, and it is our job to help them navigate their feelings and de-escalate the situation. Some Nurses have found practicing meditation and yoga helps to develop healthy coping methods and strategies to navigate stressful patient interactions.  

Control Your Body Language

It is only natural to become defensive during a controversial situation. Your body language can often speak louder than spoken words. When interacting with difficult patients, it is important to evaluate your nonverbal communication and ensure it is portraying the right message. You should also avoid standing with your arms crossed, as it can be interpreted as rude or standoffish. Learn to control your facial expressions, gestures, and posture during difficult interactions to help diffuse the situation.  

Listen

When a patient becomes loud or argumentative, it’s natural to respond with anger and defensiveness. In these times, it is essential to remember that the patient is coming from a place of needing to be heard. Whether their request is reasonable or not, we as Nurses must listen to their concerns or complaints.

If you set aside your own feelings about the situation and listen to what the patient is saying, you may be able to get more insight into the situation and come up with a better solution to the conflict. Many times, you may not need to come up with a solution for the patient. They just need someone to listen to them and feel heard. We have to remember, patients are usually in a vulnerable state when being cared for and can be scared, frustrated, or hurt. Listening is one of the easiest ways we can connect with our patients and help them to heal both physically and mentally.  

Have Empathy

Empathy is one of the most important traits of a Nurse. When dealing with difficult patients, it is important to remember they are going through a tough time, and they may be displacing their anger onto you as their Nurse. Make sure you always try to put yourself in your patient’s shoes to better understand where they’re coming from. Patients are only human. They want to be heard and understood. If we connect with them through empathy, it will help to diffuse many uncomfortable situations.  

Set Boundaries

As Nurses, it is our job to provide for the wants and needs of our patients, but it is important to do so within your set boundaries. Sometimes, patients demand things that are unreasonable. Make sure they understand the limitations of your role. As a Nurse, it is important to find the balance between meeting your patient's needs and also standing your ground and not letting a patient push you around. Some patients may try to take advantage of your kindness so it is important to set boundaries and stick to them.

Unfortunately, every Nurse has had the unfortunate experience of dealing with a difficult patient. Next time you find yourself in a challenging situation with a patient, keep these helpful tips in mind so you can get back to providing your patients with exceptional Nursing care. 

Choosing the right Nursing specialty can be a challenging decision, as there are many areas of Nursing to consider. Here are some steps that can help you choose the right specialty:

Assess your interests

Think about the areas of Nursing that interest you the most. Do you enjoy working with children or adults? Do you like working in a fast-paced environment or a more relaxed one? Do you prefer working in a clinical setting or a community-based one? Weighing your choices based on your interests and personality traits will help you narrow down your options.

Research Nursing Specialties

Once you have identified your interests, research the specialties that align best with them. Look for information about the scope of practice, work environment, patient population, salary, and required education and certification. You can also talk to other Nurses who work in these specialties to get a better understanding of what it's really like to work in these areas. 

Johnson and Johnson offers A Nursing Specialty Quiz to help guide you in learning more about specific specialties that fit what you're looking for.

Consider Your Strengths

Think about your strengths as a Nurse. Do you excel at critical thinking and problem-solving? Are you skilled at patient education and counseling? Do you have strong leadership skills? Are you able to work well under pressure? Looking at the areas you excel in will help you pick a specialty that suits you.

Think About Career Goals

Consider your long-term career goals and how a particular Nursing specialty can help you achieve them. Do you want to advance into a leadership role? Do you want to work in a specific healthcare setting or with a particular patient population? Understanding your career goals can help you better choose a specialty that aligns with them.

“One of the best things about being a Nurse is your career can change and flex as you grow,” says Ashleigh Woods, Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing at Berry College. “Nursing is versatile. Unlike other professions, as a Nurse, you can specialize in ICU medicine, but then after a few years, you can become a specialist in another area.”

Gain Experience

Once you have narrowed down your options, try to gain experience in different areas through clinical rotations or job shadowing. Some Nursing schools offer part-time work for interested students which would allow you to make money and gain experience. Hands on experience can help you get a better sense of what it's like to work in these areas and make an informed decision about which specialty is right for you.

Ultimately, choosing the right specialty is a personal decision that depends on your interests, strengths, career goals, and experience. Take the time to explore your options and gather information before making a decision, and don't be afraid to seek guidance from experienced Nurses and healthcare professionals.