Army Nurse Corps FY2013

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Hey everybody, I'm starting a thread here for those applying to the Army Nurse Corps in FY2013. I figure this might be a good place to get to know other future nurse corps officers and a place for the veterans of the ANC to pass on some advice.

Share your story and hopefully we will meet down in San Antonio this Winter/spring of 2013

Ill start with my story,

I am a 28 y/o critical care nurse with 2 years experience in a level 2 trauma center in Virignia. I passed MEPS at Ft. Eustis and have submitted security packet, letters of reference and letter of intent.

I am applying to the October review board for Active Duty Army Nurse Corps for the 66H8A(critical care) and 66T(trauma) programs( I am not sure if they are still running this one, but you don't get what you don't ask for).

I am happily married with a baby on the way, my wife is 100% behind a move the Army and I feel blessed to have her love and support.

The road to the Army has been a long one with a degree in Biology, stint as a drug rep and return for an accelerated BSN.

I love being a nurse and love working in critical care. I hope to serve my country in uniform treating service members & their families at home and in forward deployed units.

I want to be an critical care nurse and officer in the U.S. Army and I hope that I will get to meet all of you in uniform at BOLC, at MEDDAC, CSH or FST in CONUS or OCONUS.

Here's to all us achieving our dreams of becoming Army Nurses!

HOOOOOOAH!

Hi everyone. I saw the thread and wanted to say hi....I too am waiting on board results from Nov 5th. I have been accepted to NEU/USAGPAN, and waiting on the board for a DA route commission. I spoke with my recuiter an hour ago, and he said he still expects to hear news before the end of the week.

I am a nurse with 8 years experience, and they gave me just short of 4 years constructive time and 1LT. I was told my next advancement wouldnt be too far off.

Glad I'm not alone in this nail biting boat waiting for board results!!! Good luck to all of you :)

Liz

Every thing I have read, has been that you can get constructive credit to help for TiG, Time in grade, that you get 1/2 year, or 6 months, for every year of constructive credit, and that you will get 6 months for every approved certification up to three years. Everytime I have seen it in reg, it has always stated up to three years. I am hearing alot of people say they are getting constructive credit for more than that.

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You can join for whatever reasons you like. I cannot find a wrong reason for a nurse to join the army. Almost any nurse that I know that has any experience already makes more than a captain. So the reasons to join would in my eyes be a willingness to serve. If there are nurses out there joining for the money, lol, they should seriously rethink their choices, more money can be made, if a nurse gets selected, for whatever reason, I cannot see that person as taking someone elses slot. In the eyes of the board, that person meets the needs of the Army over the other candidates not selected. The only reason I can see someone not getting selected, is of course a quota being met, or that were better candidates for the position. Someone said they should hear back within a couple days. I really hope that is the case. The anxiety is so thick you could cut it with a knife.

I apologize for the way that comes across, that isnt at all I guess how I mean it but I cant articulate what I am feeling perhaps. I have worked in a nursing school for so long to know not everyone is about the serving, many it is student loan repayment and they DRED being a soldier.......perhaps i am jaded from that........but I agree anyone can go into the service for whatever their reason, so I apologize if I offended anyone that was by no means my intent!

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I have served as a retention NCO and let me tell you, yes on the front end you make a little more than a civilian nurse, but between the medical benefits and all totaled financial benefits not just base pay and retirement you make much more as an Army nurse!! The biggest thing is that retirement!! BUt you are right some join for different reasons and that is the wonderful thing about the Army, all have different reasons for being there but you will see those reasons affect the attitudes of those around you as you progress through your career. What the original post was meant to get across is that promotion is almost automatic until you make Major, so instead of chasing rank, get all of the schools to include your own civilian certs and concentrate on being a good leader!! A civilian nurse has responsibilities, but trust me once you are in uniform and an officer you are looked at by 4 times as many eyes, some for leadership, some for patient care and some for evaluation. I am a Warrant Officer and have been doing this since I was 17 years old. Do not be to proud to take advice sometimes the best leaders just LISTEN!!!!!!

I am not too proud, to take good advice. I have to say, no, on making more in the army. Again , maybe this depends on where you live. I know rural nurses make a little less, but if you put the same time in as a civilian nurse , that you would as an Army nurse, you will make far and away more money on the civilian side, or at least my wife does in our city. She is a ANM for a floor, and has mre than 4 years experience, so she makes a little mroe than a starting nurse. Yes, with retirement (if you stay in for 20 years, most do not) it helps. I understand that you are apparently a little upset, due to all the caps lock and "!!!!!!", but my point is for you to come out and accuse these candidates of just chasing rank for worrying about pay, is a little much, and noone said they would not take your advice, just clearing up the air, that they arent chasing rank. I think it goes without saying, that most know they are in a leadership roll, and that the supervision and judging in the Army can be a bit much, but worrying about other things like getting your rank correct from the start, and the length of time it takes to be promoted, are no less important, than learning your job. I would think if a young officer comes into the military, not caring about what happens when they get there, and not knowing about their rank and how soon they can be promoted, that the officer in question isnt very coordinated, and doesnt plan ahead. Getting things straight before it happens is a good hallmark for any officer in the Army. Good leaders do LISTEN, but good leaders are also well informed.

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I apologize for the way that comes across, that isnt at all I guess how I mean it but I cant articulate what I am feeling perhaps. I have worked in a nursing school for so long to know not everyone is about the serving, many it is student loan repayment and they DRED being a soldier.......perhaps i am jaded from that........but I agree anyone can go into the service for whatever their reason, so I apologize if I offended anyone that was by no means my intent!

No no, I didnt take it that way, just pointing out that, slots are not one persons, and if you are selected it will be because of the merits of your resume upto the day the board met. No doubt some that make it in, are lousy soldiers, and realize that the army was not for them. Happens everyday, I kinda understand what you meant.

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Specializes in Anesthesia, SICU, CICU.

@HooahNurse - I just want to know what I am getting into which, I am finding, can be a difficult task when it comes to Army policy and practices. Signing your name on the dotted line without knowing all the facts would be pretty stupid to say the least considering that the initial pay cut is quite large and I do have a family to support.

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Specializes in Anesthesia, SICU, CICU.

@ Irishliz - So, what is the actual cut-off for CPT regarding constructive credit. When I spoke with LTC Weisgram, he said that you needed 3.5 years total to go in as a CPT. Has this line been moved?

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Your wrong, most do not know what they are getting into in the Army. Remember what you felt like before you joined. And yes you do make more, if you take into account all medical benefits which we do not pay for, 4500 in TA every year and for you being dual military just the convinience of being able to move and not quit and re-apply for jobs every PCS. Also 30 days of paid leave and you won't deal with half the things you do as a civilian. I was not accusing anyone of joining for rank, what I was saying was concentrate on being a leader and the roles and responsibilities that come with every rank.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
@ Irishliz - So, what is the actual cut-off for CPT regarding constructive credit. When I spoke with LTC Weisgram, he said that you needed 3.5 years total to go in as a CPT. Has this line been moved?

I'm not sure what the cutoff is. I know very little about the finer details of this aspect as it was mentioned briefly by my recruiter today. He told me previously that with my years of experience I would probably enter as CPT but it was up to the board. I'll definitely ask the next time I speak to him.

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The Army is a very Unique organization/family to be a part of. WHat I was trying to explain with my posts earlier which upset some was that yes one may have 15 years of nursing experience but as an Army officer it is different. Ceratin things can only be learned through experience. Plus the Army has what is known as the QSP selection which is basically if you don't get picked up for promotion or are stagnant in grade for to long the same way this selection board met to select you, you will be unselected. I do not say that to scare you or anyone else but if you come in a CPT immediately and you have been a CPT for 8 years you become a target for that board. Again I work at the Human Resources Command and conduct board reviews, so this is coming from a good source I promise!! If you get selected never stay in one place, in the Army the more you diversify yourself the more successful you will be. Always be looking for the next school, or oppertunity to do things like take company command, even as a nurse. The little things you do initially will help you later when the competition gets tough. I am a technician (Warrant Officer) we concentrate on knowing, advising and changing policy. That is the wonderful thing about the Army, there is a regulation for everything. When I say everything mean EVERYTHING LOL, but most Soldiers just go off of what they are told their whole careers not off of policy. Good luck and I hope you get selected as the Army is an organization which is awesome!!!

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Your wrong, most do not know what they are getting into in the Army. Remember what you felt like before you joined. And yes you do make more, if you take into account all medical benefits which we do not pay for, 4500 in TA every year and for you being dual military just the convinience of being able to move and not quit and re-apply for jobs every PCS. Also 30 days of paid leave and you won't deal with half the things you do as a civilian. I was not accusing anyone of joining for rank, what I was saying was concentrate on being a leader and the roles and responsibilities that come with every rank. .

Actually I am a civilian, I am prior service, a disabled veteran from OIF 1. You can say what you would like to say about me being enlisted and that it shows, but what shows is how combative you are and how much you think you know everyone. You do not, you are jaded, if you think you know what is best for everyone on here. If you think an Army nurse makes the same (including benefits) or more, than a civilian nurse, than you have no experience at all with the civilian nurseing side or what the pay is. If my wife put the same amount of time in as a civilian nurse, that she will undoubtedly put in as an Army nurse she would be making borderline double that of her Army counterpart.

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good luck to all candidates and enjoy all the experiences the Army has to offer. Never limit yourself and always be a sponge for knowledge!!!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I think we all need to be respectful of each others opinions.

Here at allnurses........We promote the idea of lively debate. This means you are free to disagree with anyone on any type of subject matter as long as your criticism is constructive and polite. Please refrain from name-calling and eprsonal attacks...... This is divisive, rude, and derails the thread.

Our first priority is to the members that have come here because of the flame-free atmosphere we provide. There is a zero-tolerance policy here against personal attacks.

We will not tolerate anyone insulting other's opinion nor name calling.

Our call is to be supportive, not divisive. Because of this, discrimination, racial vilification and offensive generalizations targeting people of other races, religions and/or nationalities will not be tolerated.

I have edited this thread for the last few posts......we are all entitled our opinions. I will tell you as a lifetime civilian nurse....the civilian healthcare community doesn't take care of it's nurses and that treatment is getting worse. There is no retirement, no pension. I wish now that I considered the military when I was younger but hind sight is twenty twenty.

The cash.....if it is present seems great when you are young....but when you get older and they profession finds a way to dispose of you ......as they are doing with the seasoned nurses now......you have nothing.

We need to respect each others opinions and points of view. If not the thread will be closed for staff review.

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