Navy Nurse Midwife

Raider 3/1 · Jan 28, 2014

that's great that you have a doctorate degree in music. Have you tried talking with your current command higher ups to find out if you can be commissioned with your current degree? Unless you want to get out of music all together in which case you may have to finish your current enlistment with an honorable discharge. After leaving active duty you can start using chapter 31 benefits (post 9/11 GI bill) and start getting your pre-requisites done for nursing.

Given that you have your doctorate already I would suggest an accelerated nursing curriculum from an accredited school. The chapter 31 benefits will pay for everything and even a monthly housing allowance for rent and other expenses.

If I was you, I would leave active duty, get chapter 31 benefits and start an accelerated nursing program. You could either stop at your bachelors in nursing and try a direct commission or even sign up for the nurse candidate program your first year in school.

There are of course several different ways you could get to your goal. Im just presenting an option but it depends on how you want to get it done.

As for reading the pay scale for an ensign you just have to realize that your enlisted with over 8 years of experience. This means you will have higher pay verses someone who is getting into the military for the first time. With over 8 years of experience and coming in as an ensign you should be making about $4,048 a month. You will be making $393 more a month than a traditional officer with no experience, although this amount varies with different ranks and time in service.

The usual duty station time varies but its about 4 years in one spot before moving to another but this is just generalized. If the Navy pays you to become a midwife nurse than that's what you are. You can use your training and experience as a midwife nurse in the Navy as a civilian midwife nurse, no extra training required.

I hope some of this info helps and there should be some others adding to this discussion but this should get you started. Best of luck!

jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA · Jan 28, 2014

It all depends on what your goal is. I think you're a pretty solid candidate as you stand for some of the commissioning programs as soon as your enlistment is up. I have a friend who completed OTS to become an Air Force officer with a masters in music performance. There is no way to ensure training as a CNM, because the BSN is a general undergrad nursing education. Nurses move every 2-5 years (often 5 if you're stateside); depending on the specialty, your potential deployment window is 6 months every 24 months.

There is an enlisted commissioning program for nurses (NECP I think), but I believe it's almost impossible right now with the current downsizing. Even if you got it, you might have to apply for funding twice: once for BSN and once for your MSN once you finish the BSN. You may end up having to finish your current commitment, do school out of pocket/GI bill, and apply for a direct commission later. By the way, CNMs/PAs go in as an O2 (LTJG) and MDs go in as an 03 (LT). With your enlisted experience, you would be an O2E (PA/CNM) or O3E (MD) (giving you a couple hundred bucks extra each paycheck).

Have you considered PA or med school? I hate to say it, but it might take a comparable amount of time to become an OB/GYN MD as it would to become a CNM (midwife) for someone with no healthcare background. You're looking at 1-2 years of pre-reqs for CNM/PA/MD (depending on your transcripts). CNM is 2 years of undergrad nursing, 1 year working as an OB RN (for many programs), and 2 years for MSN (maybe 3 for the new DNP-doct of nursing practice). PA (phys assistant) is 2 years for a masters. MD is 4 years of med school plus ~4-5 years for OB residency.

Even though I highly doubt any of the branches are handing out very much scholarship money right now, the only real way to know is to talk to a healthcare-specific recruiter.