Army Reserve Nursing-Behavioral Health

PG2018 · Jun 21, 2014

I'm interested in this as well. Rather, I'm interested and would like to learn more about being a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner in the army reserve. I'm trying to read up on national guard elements as well, and I realize they're separate entities.

There isn't a lot of detail out there. I'd like to bend your ear to see what you've learned. Remember that you should receive constructive credit pertaining to prior work experience and education. I've been a RN (with BSN) for two years so that should translate to one year of army credit. I have been unable to determine if reserve promotion works within the same time frames as active army, i.e. second lt. plus two years results in promotion to first lieutenant plus two years results in captain. I also should receive one to two years of credit for my master's. I don't know which because the first year was full-time and the second (and third) was part-time. In that instance I should qualify for first lieutenant automatically, yet by the time I finish my master's, while working full-time, it seems plausible that I could commission as a first lieutenant with one to one and half years of credit toward captain. That's great.

Loan repayment options are enticing, and the VA has that as well. For the reserve and guard folks working at the VA there seem to be some synergistic benefits to joining outside service to country and service members.

Frankly, I'm interested in getting in with the reserve or guard because I have always been drawn to the military and want to serve.

The options to get in with the air force (reserve or guard) seem impossible in my state plus there's no reserve detachment here making the commute rather long. There seems to be a perpetual option of getting in with the navy reserve, yet I am a land locked state with a reserve "detachment" (unsure of the naval terminology) at a large military base in my state. I understand USNR is drooling for someone who can sign charts here. I find that they offer some attractive options as well as some pretty interesting deployment possibilities both CONUS and OCONUS with shorter deployment options. I presently feel fine with deployment, yet, like anyone, I'm skeptical about the army's deployment duration.

Something I saw about the guard is that they apparently only have the family nurse practitioner MOS. I've somewhat thought about picking that up just to have and with the guard STRAP indicates that I could get a stipend with that. However, I don't feel compelled to practice as a FNP in civilian life as I want to be a psych NP instead.

I might make a new thread detailing many of these concerns that might get us some more information. Let me know what you find out.

Dranger · Jun 22, 2014

3 weeks is enough for an AMEDD officer. Remember, you aren't infantry, aviation or logistics, the actuality of you being a competent officer while important isn't necessary as long as you are a good nurse.

It's sad to say but many nurses just aren't good officers. They join to be a nurse and being an officer is a extra perk that many don't get the gravity of because they aren't formulating battle briefs, OPORDs, CONOPS or any other level of the MDMP. That's what the rest of the Army does.

Just how it is.

PG2018 · Jun 23, 2014

3 weeks is enough for an AMEDD officer. Remember, you aren't infantry, aviation or logistics, the actuality of you being a competent officer while important isn't necessary as long as you are a good nurse.
It's sad to say but many nurses just aren't good officers. They join to be a nurse and being an officer is a extra perk that many don't get the gravity of because they aren't formulating battle briefs, OPORDs, CONOPS or any other level of the MDMP. That's what the rest of the Army does.
Just how it is.

Perhaps I'm being naive or idealistic, but I feel offership is superior to nursing competence. Granted, nurses are limited as staff officers, and we all know a healthcare team has to be present and efficacious to maintain force readiness. I'm wanting to join for the military flavor and provide additional service to my home and country. It's somewhat disheartening that the rest of the army apparently views ANC as "just nurses," at least in your perspective, but I would imagine many nurses join to be something more than a nurse or more clearly to be an army officer who happens to provide duty as a nurse. Alas, I'm probably too old and too color blind to do anything else..

Dranger · Jun 23, 2014

Perhaps I'm being naive or idealistic, but I feel offership is superior to nursing competence. Granted, nurses are limited as staff officers, and we all know a healthcare team has to be present and efficacious to maintain force readiness. I'm wanting to join for the military flavor and provide additional service to my home and country. It's somewhat disheartening that the rest of the army apparently views ANC as "just nurses," at least in your perspective, but I would imagine many nurses join to be something more than a nurse or more clearly to be an army officer who happens to provide duty as a nurse. Alas, I'm probably too old and too color blind to do anything else..

You would think but that's just how it is. AMEDD is the butt of many jokes among the rest of the Army. Make no mistake everyone knows how important maintaining medical readiness but time and time again I have witnessed "jacked-up" AMEDD officers and thus the standards are somewhat different than the rest of the Army. Even for reserve/guard infantry officers they still go to the EXACT training as their active counterparts, this is not the case with AMEDD.

I have been on both sides of the coin, within a medical hospital/unit with nurses and doctors as well as line units specializing in aviation, infantry etc. There is a stark contrast in how both areas operate.

Unfortunately for nurses, doctors/PAs/medics can got to these more traditional units and learn how the rest of the Army works but nurses (besides a brigade nurse) are designated to CSHs and major hospitals.

PG2018 · Jun 24, 2014

You would think but that's just how it is. AMEDD is the butt of many jokes among the rest of the Army. Make no mistake everyone knows how important maintaining medical readiness but time and time again I have witnessed "jacked-up" AMEDD officers and thus the standards are somewhat different than the rest of the Army. Even for reserve/guard infantry officers they still go to the EXACT training as their active counterparts, this is not the case with AMEDD.
I have been on both sides of the coin, within a medical hospital/unit with nurses and doctors as well as line units specializing in aviation, infantry etc. There is a stark contrast in how both areas operate.
Unfortunately for nurses, doctors/PAs/medics can got to these more traditional units and learn how the rest of the Army works but nurses (besides a brigade nurse) are designated to CSHs and major hospitals.

I learned a long time ago, actually from being promoted to leadership and supervision, that not all employees can be treated equally because they're not all the same, and that you have to understand your job and role is not the same as that of another person's who you might admire in the work place. I recognize and concede that AMEDD is perhaps more relaxed and less intuitive than the rest of the military when it comes to military affairs with ANC being probably even more isolated. However, I welcome the chance to be a part of something larger because at least I can know that I did my part as I was able to (if I can and do get it in). I never envisioned myself commanding a Stryker brigade as a nurse nor even firing a rifle. I've seen what you describe in another uniformed occupation, and I've seen other uniforms slight others because they did what may have been deemed a less important or less glamorous job. When I was younger I took part in that until I made the realization one day that we were all uniforms and all needed each other's support. Frankly, I just want to do what I can as best as I can, help out, and learn a lot along the way. Notwithstanding that nurses are pushed back to CSH environments, my focus is advanced practice psychiatric nursing, and I'm even less likely (I would surmise) to have any direct role in front line military matters. I'm ok with that, and I learned a long time ago that a lack of excitement isn't always a bad thing, lol.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Jun 24, 2014

Nurses do get to experience the more operational side of the house from time to time. A former OIC/friend went to another post to be a brigade nurse, and loved it. He is now the chief nurse for a Forward Surgical Team (FST), which is slightly less AMEDD-esque.

Dranger · Jun 25, 2014

Nurses do get to experience the more operational side of the house from time to time. A former OIC/friend went to another post to be a brigade nurse, and loved it. He is now the chief nurse for a Forward Surgical Team (FST), which is slightly less AMEDD-esque.

FSTs are the exception but the slots are few and far between for most nurse especially the ABN ones.

Dranger · Jun 25, 2014

I learned a long time ago, actually from being promoted to leadership and supervision, that not all employees can be treated equally because they're not all the same, and that you have to understand your job and role is not the same as that of another person's who you might admire in the work place. I recognize and concede that AMEDD is perhaps more relaxed and less intuitive than the rest of the military when it comes to military affairs with ANC being probably even more isolated. However, I welcome the chance to be a part of something larger because at least I can know that I did my part as I was able to (if I can and do get it in). I never envisioned myself commanding a Stryker brigade as a nurse nor even firing a rifle. I've seen what you describe in another uniformed occupation, and I've seen other uniforms slight others because they did what may have been deemed a less important or less glamorous job. When I was younger I took part in that until I made the realization one day that we were all uniforms and all needed each other's support. Frankly, I just want to do what I can as best as I can, help out, and learn a lot along the way. Notwithstanding that nurses are pushed back to CSH environments, my focus is advanced practice psychiatric nursing, and I'm even less likely (I would surmise) to have any direct role in front line military matters. I'm ok with that, and I learned a long time ago that a lack of excitement isn't always a bad thing, lol.

I think you will be fine, but I am just extrapolating on why a 3 week course for AMEDD reservists is adequate. Honestly, the only reason I would go to the full course is for pay, actual knowledge gained isn't much more.

globetrotternurse · Aug 25, 2016

Do they get deployed often as reservists? Because I would love that!!