Civilian RN jobs in overseas military hospitals?

[lauritasol]

My husband is a pilot in the AF, and we are surely going to be stationed overseas in the next year or two. We will probably relocate to Germany or Okinawa. I graduate this May (2006) with my BSN. I already am a nurse partner in high risk L&D, but am flexible about where I work. My husband told me today that some people at his work had told him that it was difficult for dependent wives who are nurses to find work in the military hospitals. Is this true? His one friend said I might have to work as a bagger in the commissary or something! I really don't want to have worked this hard through school to not be able to work as a RN. I was in the Army, so I am a veteran, and I know as a dependent and a veteran you can get GS job preference, but I am just wondering if there are even slots available to civilians over there. Does anyone know?? I definitely don't need health insurance or anything like that, but I do need to and want to work. We have no children now, but I want to work as much as I can now before we have children so I don't have to work as much then.

TIA!

[LPNtoBSNstudent, BSN, RN]

Hi there! This is my situation RIGHT NOW! I am a new graduate (december 2005) with my BSN. We moved to Bamberg Germany in June. Before we left I applied for Dodds school nursing, but there was not an opening. So, when I got into town, I went to visit the clinic on post (there was never anything listed on cpol). Anyway, I got the ok to start the process in order to be a volunteer. (It is true that you need one full year of RN experience...my 14 years of LPN experience didn't count for ANYTHING!). However, there is a new program that RN's without experience can be hired on the GS 5-7-9 program....so check into that. Kind of like a 'nurse trainee' for a year or so. (I had 5 months experience as a RN before we came here but that doesn't really count either since it wasn't a full year) Anyway, from June until this month, I have been volunteering through the Red Cross at the health clinic. But it is ok because I am still obviously learning a lot and am able to set my own schedule. Now they are thinking of offering me a part time job through the GS 5-7-9 program. We'll see what happens.

Good luck to you.

[suzi_h]

Hi, we just came back from Germany, it's a good thing you are finishing up stateside b/c there isn't a way to complete an ADN/BSN overseas. That's why I had to put off school for 3 yrs. As for jobs, there are positions available, you just have to actively look for them. A friend of mine got a wonderful position in the ICU through volunteering, so you may want to keep an open mind. They made a specific position for her b/c she got to know the right people. Volunteering with the Red Cross could give you something to put on a resume and get you familiar with the hospital. Landstuhl was a giant hospital, I don't know much about Okinawa. There were also positions like school nurse, where the "nurse" was actually a RN, so that's an option too. Good luck, and enjoy Europe or the Pacific. I am missing it more everyday! One more thing, try to let some of the host nation language, it'll make you're life so much easier!

Suzi