Questions about becoming a nurse?

I'm very confused about becoming a nurse. There are about a million specializations in nursing, and as a highschool student, I don't understand something. When you get your Bachelors in Science of Nursing, do you need further education to specialize in something? Like.. ER nurse, psychiatric nurse, neonatal nurse, ICU nurse.. just some examples of specializations. How do you go about specializing in some area? I'm so confsued.

my friends went through all this, so i'm speaking from second hand experience, lol.
what happens is you work in a certain environment for a few years after getting certification and the diploma, and through that you get a specialization. i think you don't get paid as much, almost or could be a residency. i could be wrong, though.
then you can work anywhere, even doctors offices.
if u work in a high stress environment, like the er, you dont have to do the residency-like thing for as long. like half the time.

Hi, Let me clear a few things up for you. The Basics=....LPN programs are 52 weeks long....RN programs can be 2 years (ASN) or 4 years long (BSN). These programs are designed for only ONE THING. To get you to pass the national entrance into practice exams called the NCLEX.

Now for specialization you have to just get a job in the field you are interested in getting a ANCC Specialty Certification in. (go to www.nursingworld.com for ANCC info) After you work so many years/hours and do independent study you can apply to sit for the specialty exam in your field. Many nurses choose to not take these exams because the exams for specialty certification are usually not recognized by your State Board of Nursing OR the place you are employed . Raises because you get a Certification are small or non-existant.
Here is some info about an ANCC Certification that pays off after you get your Masters Degree......Nurse Practitioner.......NP's are trained to treat the WHOLE patient as a Primary Care Provider.... We do a thorough ..hands on ...history and physical to define the problem. Then YOU and your NP can make an informed judgement on your diagnosis & treatment options. We spend more TIME... M.D's are trained look for a 'medical problem' in the quickest possible time, give you a prescription, and toss you out the door. Registered nurses cannot ..diagnose, treat or prescribe meds. Several studies have shown NP care to be equal to or significantly better than an M.D.
My program was 4 yrs college for a BSN, then 3 yrs (online) in a Masters degree program for NP's. No 'medical school' involved. In my state in NewEngland we spend 24 months after graduation working with supervision. After that we can practice completely autonomously and prescribe any meds necessary and refer you to appropriate help when you need additional expertise. You can even open your own clinic.
Last ....but not least....there is the salary...we get 1/2 what an M.D. makes...between $30 and $45 bucks an hour. We also pay a lot less for malpractice insurance and are NOT $150,000 in debt upon graduation. Be an NP !