Military Nursing Questions Answered

[navyman7]

Hello. I have seen many questions posted about the recruiting, the military, and future military experiences, I wanted to start a Q & A forum where you can ask questions related to the military from someone who is in the military.

- I am NOT a recruiter. I am fellow nurse who wants to inform others so they will be more informed than I was when I joined.

- I have been in the U.S. Navy for almost 3 years now. I have worked in the ICU for the same amount of time. I have also deployed as a Navy Nurse overseas. I am currently pursuing a masters in anesthesia degree.

- I will do my best to answer all questions. I will not lie to you about the military. If the subject is sensitive and possible jeopordize my career I will not answer you publicly about the issue but in a private email response.

Thanks and good luck.

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

Does anyone have any information about staff parking at Walter Reed?

It sucks. There is a chronic shortage of parking since WR integrated with NNMC Bethesda. I don't park in the staff parking for WR anymore. I park at USUHS, which is on the same campus. They didn't design the combining of the two facilities to have enough parking, but the metro is directly across the street from the hospital.

[vinstafa]

So, would you suggest parking at USUHS? (I'm guessing that is open to everyone). Does the Medical Center stop having parking? Sorry for so many questions, I just want to see what I am getting myself into since I will be coming from south of Baltimore.

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

So, would you suggest parking at USUHS? (I'm guessing that is open to everyone). Does the Medical Center stop having parking? Sorry for so many questions, I just want to see what I am getting myself into since I will be coming from south of Baltimore.

I should have clarified. WR staff members cannot park at USUHS, and USUHS students and staff cannot park in the WR parking lot. There are exceptions, but that is the general rule. I would talk to your supervisor/sponsor and see what the current situation parking situation is at WR.

[mylesh89]

Hello NavyMan7, hope you're doing well. I've read the many postings and I've learned a lot.

I'm studying nursing at a community college and hope to transfer to a state university to achieve my BSN. I'm very interested in becoming a Navy Nurse, working in the ED. I'm unsure on what is the best method of making this possible; should I pursue the NCP (Nurse Candidate Program) method or the HPLRP (Health Professions Loan Repayment Program) method? I won't be able to afford the BSN on my own. I have no problem serving for years or being deployed, I welcome it. I would like to serve as soon as possible once done with school and hopefully be stationed in Bethesda.

Any help is greatly appreciated, I thank you in advance.

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

Just know it's highly unlikely that you will get ED/ER right-off-the-bat as a new grad in the military. They like you to start in inpatient med-surg (or OB/L&D).

You're joining the military knowing that you will have somewhat limited control over where you live and what area of nursing you practice once there.

I think that you can pursue both. My understanding is that HLRP occurs soon after you graduate (when you get to 1st base) while NCP accepts you before graduation.

[mylesh89]

Thanx jfratian for responding to my questions. I greatly appreciate it. I know I won't be able to enter the ER right away unfortunately, but I'm willing work for it. I also know that where I'm stationed isn't up to me, I hope it's on the eastern side of the country. Can you give my any insight that you have gained from being a Military Nurse?

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

I haven't deployed. However, my stateside experience is that military treatment facilities have far fewer capabilities than ever your average civilian community hospital (I have done inpatient med-surg on both sides of the fence); if your base even has a hospital it's unlikely that it will have more than a few dozen inpatient beds.

The career progression for military nurses is the real reason to join in my opinion. Few civilian nurses (even in management) make the pay of an O4 or O5. Plus, the military has master clinician and educator roles (as high as O6) for those who don't wish to be commanders. No civilian nurse clinician is making that kind of money unless they are in management.

[mylesh89]

Question, how often can you be deployed? For example: if I prefer to be deployed more often than not, how possible is this?

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

It is totally mission-dependent. Right now, I want to deploy but can't. We are drawing down in the middle east, and they're really aren't that many spots. It really just mirrors what's going on in the world and is hard to predict.

If you want to deploy, then you should try to get into OR, ICU, or ER nursing; they deploy more frequently. That's really all you can control.

[mylesh89]

Are there any other places that you could be deployed to? Or is the middle east more of an actually deployment zone?

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

They assign you to a specific base/location. I have no idea how many there are. Many of them seem to be in the middle east, but there are other places. For example, CCATT missions long term may be considered deployments.

[mylesh89]

Ah ok. Which naval hospital and department are you working at?