BYU Study Notes Nursing Shortage in Armed Services

oramar · Apr 16, 2002

Back in last half of 1980s I can remember a young Diploma grad with 3 years experince telling me she was entering the military. Seems at that time they were experincing a shortage and were waving the BSN requirement. New grads were still required to have BSN but if you had three years experince and a RN they would take you. Sorry, don't remember which brance of service.

Trauma Columnist · Apr 16, 2002

I know now that as long as you have an RN you join the reservers and national guard. I laugh at the mail I receive, because I'm always getting recruiting info. I'm a navy vet (from the 70's) and 43 now. The guard and reserves takes RN up to age 47yrs.

Ted · Apr 16, 2002

My sister was an army nurse who worked at Walter Reed (sorry for the misspelling) near Washington DC. The army paid her way through nursing college (stipend and all) for a four year committement. Interestingly, they did not renew her committment and, in effect, was layed off. She has recently received offers to rejoin the army again. She, of course, has decided to continue her work at John Hopkins where she's happily employed.

Don't understand why they laid her, and other nurses like her, off to begin with. I want to add that she had and excellent working record. Go figure. . .

Ted

oramar · Apr 16, 2002

You know Ted, the military went through a period of insanity after Gulf War where they decided to cut back on everything. This was due to pressure by a congress that was on a balanced budget kick. They decommissioned a lot of people they wish they had now. This included pilots and healthcare workers. Now they are begging for all those people to come back. I just heard some testimony in a budget hearing by some high army official. He told congress that it keeps cutting back after wars and then paying 10 times more to get back to strength when the need arrives. He said it would make much better fiscal sense to just maintain military stength at a certain level. I am a bit bizzaro because I love to listen to congressional hearing of all types. My favorite hearings are military and healthcare.

Ted · Apr 16, 2002

Oramar:

It just seems difficult to understand the government, period.

It does make more fiscal sense to maintain military strength at a certain level as your post suggests. Again, go figure. . .

Just a little aside. If I were single and younger, I'd seriously consider nursing in the navy. I love the ocean. Used to work on a cruise ship as a lounge musician. Working on ships is cool. Enjoyed everything from hanging around in the huge engine room and watching countless sunsets over the ocean.

Ted

oramar · Apr 18, 2002

Ted, did you see the show about life on the aircraft carrier last night? Don't think I will be rushing out and enlisting anytime soon. Life in the military is no party, especially for a old dame like me.

johnboy · Apr 20, 2002

Perhaps if the military didn't work quite so hard to hunt and kick out a certain percentage of dedicated professionals, then there might not be as bad a shortage.

But who knows? With the way this administration is chomping at the bit to fund anything remotely "military", we might see the return of those impromptu "drag pageants" loved so dearly by the boys during WW2. :devil: