Just like doctors, once they have completed most of their educational requirements nurses generally choose a specialty. Some nurses prefer to work in a small doctor's office, while other nurses like the hustle and bustle of working in a busy hospital. Deciding the type of atmosphere you would like to work in will help you decide what type of specialty you should start pursuing.

In the nursing profession, it makes sense to pursue a specialty that is in high demand. Nurses who are interested in spending time working as travel nurses need to choose a specialty so that the travel nurse agency they are hired by will have an easier time placing them at various locations.

Before nursing students can settle on a specialty they need to do some research about each available specialty and choose one that best suits their interests and makes the best use of their individual personalities. As a travel nurse, you may wonder where to begin if you wish to pursue a successful career in healthcare. There are many various specialties for students to choose from. They include; ambulatory care, emergency care, occupational health, critical care nurses, holistic nurses, home health care and operating room nurses. 

Ambulatory Care Nurses

Nurses who pursue careers in ambulatory care are not nurses who ride around in ambulances. Nurses who specialize in ambulatory care are nurses who work at helping treat a multitude of illnesses and injuries. It isn't unusual for ambulatory nurses to expand their careers to include video conferencing. It is often ambulatory nurses who can be found teaching educational courses. The majority of your time as ambulatory care nursing will be spent working with non-acute surgical and diagnostic outpatients.

Emergency care nurses

Emergency care nurses are nurses who work in the emergency room. Emergency care nurses see patients who are suffering from strokes, heart attacks, severe injuries, and sudden illnesses. Some nurses who specialize in emergency care go on to get a helicopter pilot's license so that they can fly the hospital helicopter and pick up and transport patients to different hospitals. Emergency nurses see a variety of illnesses and injuries on a daily basis.

Occupational health nurses

Occupational health nurses are nurses who work with patients that have been injured while they were working. It is not unusual for a business to hire the services of an occupational health nurse to come into their work area and identify any potentially dangerous issues. Occupational health nurses often have a close working relationship with OSHA.

Critical care nurses

Critical care nurses are exactly what they sound like, nurses who work in the critical care unit. These nurses take care of patients that are recovering from severe injuries, heart attack victims, and severely ill patients. Critical care nurses need to have steady nerves and have to be able to maintain their composure in all situations.

Holistic Nurses

Holistic nurses are nurses who take care of patients' spiritual needs while providing services such as aromatherapy and acupuncture. These nurses are typically long on patience and have good communication skills. They promote healing and wellness to the patients. In providing care, these nurses take into account the patient's body, mind, spirit, and environment.

Home Care Nurses

Nurses who seek jobs that let them take care of rehabilitating patients after a patient returns home are called home care nurses. In some cases, these nurses will actually move into the patient’s house in order to take care of the patient’s medical needs. Some home nurses, who take care of chronic health issues, work through hospice offices.

Operating Room Nurses

These nurses are present with the surgeon inside the operating room. An OR nurse's primary role is to assist the surgeon during surgeries as well as to prepare the patient for surgery. In addition, they are responsible for the patient's aftercare following an invasive procedure. They not only work with the patients and doctors but also with patients' families to relay information between doctors and family members and other healthcare professionals to make sure the surgery runs smoothly. They are often in charge of some common surgeries like coronary bypass, breast biopsies, and C-sections.

Conclusion

Nurses are in high demand right now and travel nurses are even more so. Concentrating on a particular area of interest may open up more options for you. Several different specialties require different skills to obtain, as illustrated here. You should give yourself some time to decide which specialty is right for you, yet make your judgement carefully as it may determine how your career unfolds, especially as a travel nurse.