Navy Nurse Questions

Sweetpotato,
I don't have kids so that is not an issue for me. I have a husband but he can take care of himself without me. He did it before we were married and I'm sure he's capable of managing without me for a few months. I put my name on the list for deployments at the hospital. I didn't care where I went; I just wanted to deploy. And this deployment is a short one; some navy deployments can last any where up to 14 months. However, most navy deployments are 6 months.
If you are called up to deploy then yes it is required; unless you are medically waived or do something stupid to get out of deploying. You can't just say no I'm not going if you name gets put on the list to go out. Deployments are a part of being in the military, and is something that should be expected sooner or later (if you plan on being in for an exteneded peroid of time). Even members with kids get deployed.

ENS PM

ENS PM,

Thanks so much for your reply! Oh I understand the requirements of the military. I grew up in a military household (father was in for 30 years). I just wanted to know about your deployment because the recruiters told me that it is pretty competitive to get a spot on a ship and that there are many nurses who never deploy their entire career. I love to travel and would not mind deployment. I probably would not seek it out (just because I have a child) but, I know that if I had to do it then I would! I hope you enjoy your deployment and if I have more questions I hope you do not mind me asking!

Thanks!

I am a MECP candidate who grads in a few days. I noticed that you are in San Diego. I have been in the navy for 12 years and will be doing my first tour as a nurse in San Diego. I have my orders and am attached to the Mercy Det. I check in at the end of August. I was wondering if you can tell me about the Nurse Intern program and the hours they usually work?

Thanks in advance,

Allison

Sweetpotato: Keep the questions coming. I'll try to answer then as much as I can. I don't know how mucy access I'll have to the internet after 28 May (when I deploy). I wasn't for sure if you understood the nature of deployments, etc. Some people come into the military thinking that just b/c they are a nurse that they won't have to deploy. If you don't ever want to deploy then you shouldn't join. But you understand all that stuff since you grew up in the military.

Allison:
1st off...being attached or having platforms don't really mean much. You can get deployed to other areas; not just on the Mercy. Or you may never deploy with the Mercy, even though you are attached to that ship. Just wanted to make sure you know that...which you most likely do since you've been in for 12 yrs.
The nurse intern program is pretty cool. There is a different director now than when I came through. He's not as good (IMO) as the previous director. However, the program is a good way to easy into the hospital setting, network, and meet new people. You will have round table every almost every Friday, which is just a meeting with all the interns. During these meetings different interns will do presentations, you'll talk about your wk, experiences that wk, etc. Then afterward you guys will do group pt. (like softball, volleyball, etc). Fun Pt!
When you 1st start you will be doing a lot of classes, so you might be there 5 days a wk at 1st. Then you'll work shifts with preceptors on floors that you are crosstraining to, and the floor you are assigned to. You'll get special experience days like in the ER and PACU.
In what area do you want to work?
Do you have to go to OIS?
When you check in I'll be gone on the ship but I'm sure I'll see you around once I get back! If you need any advice on housing in the area, let me know.
Do you have a sponsor?

I'll be happy to answer any question any of you have...that's what I come to these boards for!

ENS PM

Thank you for your answers. I go to OIS on July 9. I check into the command the end of August. I would like to work in L& D or peds but I know we go where they put us.

I heard that about the platforms. One of my good friends is stationed at Navhosp Brem and she has never deployed with her platform. I don't have a sponsor yet. I filled out the form and just haven't heard back yet. My husband and I are both going to be stationed there. We are looking at housing. We need a larger house we have three children. I have deployed since having children and it was difficult but manageable. I won't be volunteering for deployments but will go if I need too.

I really will not be jumping on the ship bandwagon. That was hard duty after having a child. We were in and out a bunch and it was hard on my son he was a year old.

The nurse intern sounds pretty exciting!

Navynurse06: If I were to join the navy, I would come in with at least a year of experience. Is the nurse intern program for all new navy nurses? Right now I am working on a critical care floor but, I have always been interested in the NICU! I noticed you said that you get to experience days in ER and PACU in addition to your assigned unit.

Allison: I work in peds and we have a lot of LTJG's leaving this summer, plus we have 3 nurses transfering to PICU. (and hopefully I'll be going to the ER after I get back). That being said maybe you will have a chance to come to peds since everyone is leaving. The L/D thing won't happen when you 1st come to the command. You have to get floor experience before you can go to L/D. They won't send new nurses to L/D, NICU, PICU, ICU, ER, PACU, or OR. You have to get floor experience before you can get sent to critical care areas. Peds is one avenue to those areas. As far as going out on the ship, nurses don't got out that much unless its for missions like mine. But you are only out for the max of 6 months on the ship. But land deployments may last longer for nurses. What does your husband do in the Navy? Are you guys planning on applying for military housing? They have some really nice housing around here; with fenced in back yards and garages...etc.

Sweetpotato:
If you were to join the navy and come to one the big 3, you still would go through the intern program. (Regardless of your yrs of experience) Your time in the intern program will just be shorter. We had a man come in as LTJG b/c he had been an ICU nurse for like 5 or 10 yrs but he still had to do the intern program. He was just in there for a shorter time than what I was. I was in there for like 4 months but he was only in for like 2 months. We don't start out new nurses in NICU, like I said above. You would have to do time on the peds floor or something like that. And its really hard for military nurses to get into our NICU. They hire a lot of civilans there and put less miliary there.
Keep the question coming!
ENS PM

Navynurse06
My husband is a nurse too. We are not planning on applying for military housing because we both get BAH and it is quite a bit. We have lived in military housing before and there are benefits to not living in housing. We like to live away from work and when I supervised a bunch of junior enlisted my house was too close to deal with all of the problems constantly.

I would love to come work in peds.

Allison

So your husband is a nurse in the navy? What area does he want to work in?


I agree about the military housing thing. We didn't get it either. But since its just me and my husband I figured my chances of getting it were going to be slim any how.

There are some nice larger houses in the Clairmont-Kerny Mesa area, which isn't too far from NMCSD. Also east Chula Vista has improved and there are nicer larger houses in that area too. I live in Pacific Beach, but its a more expensive area to live in and doesnt have many large house in that area. The larger houses in that area are really, really expensive. We just wanted to live near the beach so we chose to pay more in rent so we can live in a "beachy" area.

We actually bought a house back in 1999, it was literally a dump. We bought it as an investment property and put about $10,000 into it to make it liveable. When we left we sold it for a $95,000 profit. So if your handy and deal with something like that, San Diego is a place to make money on a house. The house was in Dictionary Hill, which is out in Spring Valley at the end of the 94. I think they put a ton of condos in there now so values probably sored there too.

LCDR(s) Dan