active duty while attaining an MSN/DNP

Published

Hi everyone,

I have recently discovered I have been chosen for the Navy Nurse Candidate Program. This has been a life long dream of mine, but now that I am an officer candidate, I just wanted to ask a few questions about attaining an MSN/DNP while being on active duty. I do understand clinical hours are a big concern, but I was thinking of completing an online program versus a hybrid or in person program. My goal is to finish my BSN, and after one year of clinical practice, go back to school immediately. I've only heard one story about a navy nurse who did the same (almost went insane because of it), and wasn't planning on extending her service time past 5 years. My goal on the other hand is to extend for as many years as possible, but would the navy even promote me if I decided to go back to school on my own time instead of waiting for them to send me off? With a very honest opinion, is this goal actually doable, or would the consistently changing schedule of a navy nurse wreck me in the process of this? (In other words, should I just finish my 4 years and wait?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I will say it's not impossible but I can only imagine how hard it will be. Right now I'm coming up on my 3rd year in the Navy as a nurse and I honestly can't imagine trying to go back to school on my own. I definitely thought about especially at my next duty station where I'll be in a clinic working traditional hours and off on the weekends. But at my current duty station I have been working 12s( 2 days one week and the 5 days the following) with rotating shifts every 8-12 weeks. But usually as a new nurse in the Navy you'll be a floor nurse doing shift work which makes it hard. Now maybe around year two or three this may be possible depending on where you work but of course the military can be unpredictable and during your time in school you may be deployed. If you change your mind about staying in I would definitely opt for DUINS and let the Navy pay and only go to school.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

In the military, your "free time" is not really yours. A non-clinical MSN is a much safer bet - I did a Nursing Informatics MSN while I was active duty in the Army. Deployments can also happen in the middle of classwork as well - I went to Afghanistan in the middle of my degree and had to put it on pause. If you do start a degree program, make sure it is with a military-friendly school.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

You can definitely start MSN classes as soon as you get to your first base; I did it. Your classes that don't require clinical hours and which are in every nursing graduate degree (biostats, informatics, health policy) are certainly doable while on active duty. I would recommend you just take one at a time to start off.

Remember that you qualify for $250 per credit hour (up to $4500 per year) of tuition assistance while in the military. You owe 2 years for taking it but it runs concurrent, meaning you won't owe extra time if you take classes in the first 2 years.

As the other poster said, all branches have a program that sends you back to school full time. You get paid your same salary while in school, get all expenses paid for, and accrue time towards retirement. It just requires a competitive application and typically 2 years of time at your first base.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU/ER/trauma.

A lot of schools claim to be military friendly. Still here are asshat professors who will you give you ****. I experienced that in my program.

Msn programs are easier in the reserves in my opinion. That way you can work part time at most, drill and complete the program.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
A lot of schools claim to be military friendly. Still here are asshat professors who will you give you ****. I experienced that in my program.

That's too bad. :( I got lucky with mine - during my first MSN (nursing informatics at Excelsior College), when I told my professor I was deploying, he gave me solid advice that actually got my annual fee deferred and save me money.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Doable, but you may need to strategize it. I saved my MSN for an overseas tour where things were 'slower' but it was still pretty rough with work and collateral duties necessary.

It can be exhausting when working 12's to come home and want to unwind to instead dedicate what little time you have to a paper/project. I felt I was always under time pressure, and am glad to have finished it.

Consider DUINS when you get into the Navy - make yourself a strong candidate, and go to school full time on the govt. dime. Pretty much all DUINS specialties are highly competitive though, so you really have to plan ahead.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
I felt I was always under time pressure, and am glad to have finished it.

Congratulations, by the way! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Anesthesia and Nursing Informatics.
On 3/7/2018 at 3:28 AM, ODURN2015 said:

I will say it's not impossible but I can only imagine how hard it will be. Right now I'm coming up on my 3rd year in the Navy as a nurse and I honestly can't imagine trying to go back to school on my own. I definitely thought about especially at my next duty station where I'll be in a clinic working traditional hours and off on the weekends. But at my current duty station I have been working 12s( 2 days one week and the 5 days the following) with rotating shifts every 8-12 weeks. But usually as a new nurse in the Navy you'll be a floor nurse doing shift work which makes it hard. Now maybe around year two or three this may be possible depending on where you work but of course the military can be unpredictable and during your time in school you may be deployed. If you change your mind about staying in I would definitely opt for DUINS and let the Navy pay and only go to school.

It seems that a lot of active duty MSN prepared nurses (NP/CRNA) are now in the situation having to figure out how to go about getting their DNP while on active duty. While challenging, it is possible. I would like to share the success story of a MSN-CRNA while active duty in South Korea who went back on her own and successfully completed the program in 15 months. It is important to select a program that is flexible with mixed hybrid and synchronous face-to-face sessions. I will attach an MSN to DNP full-time progression plan from Florida Gulf Coast University as an example. It is totally doable.

FGCU MSN to DNP.pdf

Up Vote Up Vote ×

With the amount of time, energy, and stress it would take you should just put all of that into putting a great package together and getting the military to send you to grad school instead.

I was working med surg AD AF with another nurse who was going for mental health NP. She literally looked like death nearly every day. Rotating nights/days, homework.. and everything else life threw at her.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment