A day in the life. Military Nursing

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Would you active duty nurses share with us hopefuls what a day in your life as a nurse is like?

Please Include your service, station, and area you work.

Thanks in advance for anything you care to share!

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
AFN cracks me up. Really.

I can't set foot in a grocery store without singing, "Don't shop if you're hungry, no-no-no!" Ha ha. Warped.

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I can't set foot in a grocery store without singing, "Don't shop if you're hungry, no-no-no!" Ha ha. Warped.

Ahh, the thrills of a military upbringing...those things the civilians of the world just don't get to experience... LOL

:yeah::yeah::lol2::lol2:

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Would you active duty nurses share with us hopefuls what a day in your life as a nurse is like?

Please Include your service, station, and area you work.

Thanks in advance for anything you care to share!

I am an active duty Army FNP.

I work in a family practice clinic.

Very simply: My work is very similar to working in a family clinic as a civilian.

I have volunteered 3 times for deployment.

I have a ER background.

If you are looking for excitement, deployment, trauma, or ER-type experiences do not join the Army as a FNP - PAs get all the trauma/ER experience.

Get a job as a civilian.

Join doctors without borders.

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Specializes in critical care: trauma/oncology/burns.
I am an active duty Army FNP.

I work in a family practice clinic.

Very simply: My work is very similar to working in a family clinic as a civilian.

I have volunteered 3 times for deployment.

I have a ER background.

If you are looking for excitement, deployment, trauma, or ER-type experiences do not join the Army as a FNP - PAs get all the trauma/ER experience.

Get a job as a civilian.

Join doctors without borders.

Hello armyfnp72:

Did you have your FNP before you went into the ANC? I am asking because what most people don't know or know to ask is....Can the Army use a FNP over an ANP (adult nurse practitioner)?

I would not agree with your statement that "PAs get all the trauma/ER experience"....

You know the saying, "the needs of the Army".....How did you volunteer (for deployment), if I may ask?

But I do agree with your statement "If you are looking for excitement, deployment, trauma, or ER-type experiences do not join the Army as a FNP" {see my second sentence} I would reply "come into the Army Nurse Corps as an 68WM6 or as a 66H"....Then let the Army pay for your graduate education! :D

athena

Iraq

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Specializes in Emergency RN.

Hello Army FNP72

I'am an ADN RN considering military service while pursuing my FNP. I'm curious if you found it difficult to get into the nurse corp as an FNP from what I have read there are not a lot of spots. I would have to enter as a reservist and then transition once I complete MSN / FNP aren't their any orthopods using NP's. I also have a family so obviously that factors in my wife is a nurse as well it seems like their would be great experience to build I'd rather just work clinic when I'm done anyway had enough ER.

Have a great day

Thanks

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Hello Army FNP72

I'am an ADN RN considering military service while pursuing my FNP. I'm curious if you found it difficult to get into the nurse corp as an FNP from what I have read there are not a lot of spots. I would have to enter as a reservist and then transition once I complete MSN / FNP aren't their any orthopods using NP's. I also have a family so obviously that factors in my wife is a nurse as well it seems like their would be great experience to build I'd rather just work clinic when I'm done anyway had enough ER.

Have a great day

Thanks

Wharton:

If you are ready for the family practice clinic and taking care of family members and retirees, the army has just a place for you in the active duty army. As a reservist, you are going to deploy as a FNP and that is pretty much it. Orthopod NPs? Think family practice, there are no NP specialists. Your speciality is the "F" part of FNP, so think well babies, PAP smears, diabetes, heart disease, and that magical word: health promotion. The key in the army is submission. Don't come in with a lot of lofty goals. Just do what they tell you, say nothing (no advice to your superiors, no opinions for god's sake) and you'll be fine.

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Specializes in geriatrics, L & D, PP, Neonatal.

I am an Air Force OB nurse. I am still relatively new to military life as an Officer. I am stationed at Travis AFB, CA. I was prior enlisted for a time and I also grew up a military brat! I never did work an acute care nursing job in civilian life. Prior to joining the Air Force I was working in a SNF. A day in my life is really not much different than civilian nursing. I triage, admit, deliver and recover mothers and babies. I work mother/baby and labor and delivery. What I really love about my job is that I have had the opportunity for very necessary albeit expensive training that while available to civilians was free for me! AWHONN's beginning and intermediate fetal heart monitoring courses, a perinatal nursing course, STABLE, ACLS, BLS, NRP, and PALS (if I want to take it). All for free. I have the same risk for deployment as any other Air Force nurse. However it is not likely that I will deploy as an OB nurse. more likely that it will be as a Med/surg nurse. We are required to keep up our general nursing skills through CEU's and floating to a med surg floor when needed. I am looking forward to the rest of my time in the Air Force, however long it will be. I am looking into going overseas when that opportunity comes up.

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This is a great forum!

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Actually when previous poster referred to PAs receiving trauma - I think it is important to make sure people know the distinction... PAs positions vary but they are the ones on the front line... often an MTOE is a single PA within a line BN.. they ARE 'the doc', they are on the battlefield..., they are in the trauma - where the nurse might receive the trauma Pt at the CSH... I think its important to make that distinction and not to take away from those hardworking PAs out there~

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Specializes in OR.
I am an Air Force OB nurse. I am still relatively new to military life as an Officer. I am stationed at Travis AFB, CA. I was prior enlisted for a time and I also grew up a military brat! I never did work an acute care nursing job in civilian life. Prior to joining the Air Force I was working in a SNF. A day in my life is really not much different than civilian nursing. I triage, admit, deliver and recover mothers and babies. I work mother/baby and labor and delivery. What I really love about my job is that I have had the opportunity for very necessary albeit expensive training that while available to civilians was free for me! AWHONN's beginning and intermediate fetal heart monitoring courses, a perinatal nursing course, STABLE, ACLS, BLS, NRP, and PALS (if I want to take it). All for free. I have the same risk for deployment as any other Air Force nurse. However it is not likely that I will deploy as an OB nurse. more likely that it will be as a Med/surg nurse. We are required to keep up our general nursing skills through CEU's and floating to a med surg floor when needed. I am looking forward to the rest of my time in the Air Force, however long it will be. I am looking into going overseas when that opportunity comes up.

AFOBRN,

Did you apply to the NTP to enter the air force? is it very competitive?

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Specializes in Pediatric Emergency.

Are all nurses coming down on orders to deploy? I have a friend in Germany that's in the ANC and he says deployments are voluntary and 6 months is max. Then my wife says that she see's nurses at Walter Reed deploy all the time. I've been out for a few years so I only know what's on the news or what my old army friends tell me (not really useful b/c they're all infantry). I'm actually waiting for the U.S to pull out of the Stan before coming back in, but I'm not holding my breathe. Or at least convince my wife that a deployment is not likely anymore.

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Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.

Don't delude yourself. Yes, you will be deployed. Who else will care for our troops? They are the reason I have sought this path. I do not look forward to being deployed, but yet I am ready and willing. And I see myself volunteering to go at the first oppertunity (and yes, I do have kids to leave behind).

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