Nursing is a very diverse profession. Not only are there different types of nurses (like LPNs, RNs, etc), but there are also many different specialization that nurses of all levels go into.
Nursing specialties are usually divided up by the people who are being nursed. The major groups are:
1. Psychiatric and mental health nursing
2. Developmental disabilities nursing
3. Pediatric nursing
4. Geriatric nursing
5. Home health nursing
Psychiatric and mental health nursing is the taking care of people with mental health problems. This speciality is further divided up into nursing for patients who require hospital care, for patients who stay in their homes, for mental health patients who have committed crimes, and for patients who are older or adolescents.
Developmental disabilities refers to disabilities that affect daily functions regarding independent living, economic self sufficiency, learning, mobility, using language, self care, and self direction. Nurses help patients with such disabilities to help them in living and get better to become more independent.
Pediatric nursing is the area which focuses on providing care to infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatric nurses help provide support to the family by educating and supporting both the parents and the children.
Geriatric nursing refers to taking care of aged individuals. This area is the fastest growing specialty in nursing because of the baby boomers reaching this area. There is no specific age limit that patients are considered to be in this group, but rather a group of illnesses that are common among the elderly.
Home health nursing is the support and care provided in the patient's home. There are two different areas of care that are provided. One is health services which include medical and psychological assessment, medication administering, pain management, and therapy. The second area is life assistance services, which are include meal preparation, laundry, housekeeping, shopping, transportation, and companionship.
There are other specializations as well such as cardiac nursing, orthopedic nursing, etc. which are mostly based on the area of the body that the nursing focuses on.
