The Nursing Major: Best Specialties, Subjects, and Challenges

The nursing field is considered one of the most important disciplines within universities in general, and it is one of the oldest professions known to history. It is a first-degree humanitarian profession, rooted in human instinct. With the passage of time and continuous development, nursing has taken on a more educational and advanced form. There are many nursing specialties studied in schools, institutes, and universities. Nursing is the foundation and pillar of medical work, and it can never be dispensed with under any circumstances. This study has numerous medical branches and specialties designed to graduate students capable of working across all departments within medical institutions.

The Nursing Major

The nursing major is considered one of the most important scientific disciplines, bearing immense significance within society. It essentially helps provide healthcare services to all individuals in urgent need due to illness, across all age groups and genders. Undoubtedly, studying the nursing major offers numerous benefits and significant privileges.

Despite the positives and the importance of studying the nursing major, practical experience in this field reveals some drawbacks. Most notably, nurses are the first line of defense, making them more susceptible to contracting viruses and infections from patients. Additionally, the nurse is the primary observer of the patient and their condition, requiring long hours at the health center. This causes extreme exhaustion and fatigue, leading to foot and back pain, while severely limiting rest opportunities. Nurses frequently complain about long, exhausting working hours.

Nursing Departments and the Best Among Them

Many departments have been introduced into the nursing major in universities. As one of the most important disciplines globally, it has several key departments, including the following:

1. Maternal and Child Health Nursing.
2. Psychiatric and Mental Health Department.
3. Geriatric Care Nursing.
4. Operating Room, Anesthesia, and Recovery Department.
5. Orthopedic Nursing Specialty.
6. Burn Care Nursing Department.
7. Internal Medicine and Surgical Nursing.
8. Community Health Specialty.
9. Clinical Nursing.
10. Nursing Administration.
11. Intensive and Critical Care.

The Best Nursing Specialties

A student's choice of which nursing specialty to study is critically important, as it directly impacts their future, efficiency, and proficiency in the nursing field. Each nursing department has unique characteristics and features that align differently with a student's capabilities, inclinations, and skills. By choosing the right fit, the student can offer the best service to society and individuals, while also finding room to innovate. The best specialties in the field are:

• Clinical Nursing Department.
• Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing.
• Operations and Recovery.
• Internal Medicine and Surgery Specialty.
• Maternal and Child Health Specialty.
• Intensive Care.
• Geriatric Care Specialty.
• Emergency and Trauma.
• Nursing Administration.

Before choosing a specialty, a student must assess their capabilities, skills, experiences, and humanitarian inclinations to see how well they align with their desired field. Additionally, they should be aware of the study duration, which varies by specialty—some require only two years, while others demand more than four years of study.

Nursing Subjects

The subjects and courses within the nursing major vary to keep pace with the continuous developments in the field, aiming to bring the student to a level of mastery and proficiency. Generally, the curriculum begins with medical sciences and learning multiple nursing skills and arts. The student studies the following:

In the First Year, the Student Learns:

• The rules and basics of nursing.
• The ethics and etiquette of nursing.
• Understanding patient and nurse rights.
• Human anatomy.
• Pharmacology, hematology, and chemistry.
• Physiology and nursing science.
• Bacteriology and mycology.
• Human behavior.

This is alongside some theoretical and administrative subjects related to the nature of the nursing major, all of which are foundational and basic.

From the Second Year to the Fourth Year:

The student studies specialized subjects in nursing science and graduates in their final year, fully prepared to work in a medical institution.