You have mastered the clinical skills and proven yourself as a registered nurse—but with over 100 graduate nursing specialties beckoning, how do you choose the next educational path that is truly meant for you? Will you find your calling in pediatrics or in working with older adults? Behind hospital walls or in the outpatient setting? The abundance of possibilities can feel both exciting and overwhelming.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing encourages registered nurses to embrace lifelong learning. Whether you plan to grow through continuing education or return to the classroom for a graduate degree, here are some questions to consider to get you started.
What are your goals for your nursing career?
Consider what you want to accomplish throughout your career. Do you see yourself doing any of the following?
- Educating future nurses
- Holding leadership roles
- Delivering care without direct supervision
- Conducting research
- Using technology to improve efficiency
Should I pursue a graduate degree?
A graduate degree will allow you to pursue leadership and education roles, provide care as an advanced practice nurse, and contribute to scientific research. If you answered “yes” to any of the following roles above, there is a graduate degree that can help you achieve your career goals.
With many nursing graduate programs available, nurses can choose to specialize in a variety of areas, including acute care, primary care, mental health, midwifery, leadership, and informatics. Many formats, including hybrid and online, allow nurses to continue working while pursuing a degree.
What are your interests and strengths?
What in nursing interests you? What drew you to the profession? Determine what interests you in your current role and what you can see yourself doing long-term.
“As a research nurse, I see the data, I see it being published and how it makes a difference,” said Kareem Bechnak, a graduate from the Master of Science in Health Care Informatics program at the University of Colorado College of Nursing.
What do you like about being a nurse?
Do you like to interact with patients and their families? Or do you prefer working behind the scenes? Do you want to help patients struggling with a cancer diagnosis?
Find what interests you and what drove you to become a nurse. Reflect on which clinical rotations interested you the most during your training, as well as what interests you now while on the job.
“I noticed a gap between the gynecological side and menopausal transition,” said Melissa Sanchez, a graduate from the Master’s in Women’s Health program at the University of Colorado College of Nursing. “Women are not just childbearing bodies. I want women to feel beautiful throughout their entire lives.”
What is your ideal practice setting?
Do you prefer to work with a team or on your own? Do you prefer a fast-paced work environment? Do you prefer a role in acute care or primary care?
Pursue a nursing specialty that will put you in a work environment that you will find fulfilling and challenging.
Where is your empathy?
If you are unsure which specialty to pursue, consider the following question: Where is your empathy? For some, the answer may be with veterans. For others, the answer may be pediatrics. Maybe you connect with patients navigating high-risk pregnancies. Determine your population focus, then determine how you can pursue a nursing career that will help you care for those patients.
“I have compassion and empathy for people because I've been through what veterans have gone through,” says Chauvonne Foston, a military veteran who served in Afghanistan and recent graduate from the CU College of Nursing Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program.
Connect with mentors
If you are leaning toward a specific specialty, reach out and connect with a nurse in the field or research mentorship opportunities. Ask a former faculty member or current supervisor about your strengths and where they think you will succeed. You may also want to take an online self-evaluation test that identifies your professional strengths. Develop an understanding of your abilities to help you find where you will thrive.
Meet with a mentor and ask specific questions to make sure that the specialty you are considering aligns with your interests and personality. Conduct research to gain more insight into the specialty. Some example questions to ask a mentor include:
- What is your work/life balance like?
- Are there advancement opportunities?
- What is the most challenging aspect of this specialty?
- Why did you choose this specialty?
- What is it like working with this patient population?
The decision is personal and ultimately, only you can decide which specialty is the right fit for you. Do your research, make connections, assess your strengths, and set career goals to help you make this exciting decision.
About the author: Dr. Krista Estes serves as the Assistant Dean of Master’s Programs and is an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado College of Nursing. She actively practices as a Family Nurse Practitioner and previously held the role of Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty Director for eight years.
