Active Duty Military - Desiring to become Nurse

ArmyMedicRN · Jun 5, 2013

Greetings. Is it possible? Maybe, depending on when and where your school has clinicals. Every semester your clinicals should change, but usually you will have 2 to 3 rotations per semester, meaning you will have 2 to 3 days, usually 0645 to 1600, of work in a clinical setting. During clinicals, I don't see how it would be possible for you to remain on your duty schedule, because you cannot miss any clinical hours as they are all tabulated so your degree is accredited. And it is impossible to do those clinicals at other times because the clinical is headed by an instructor and it is treated like class. You would have to get with your platoon or section Sergeant (or whatever you Air Force guys call it) and see if they can work around your school schedule. Now, you will need your pre requisites, which can easily be done around your work schedule on your off time.

Just do what a lot of us other active duty guys did... Get out, use the post 9/11 and do school full time while getting paid for it. Now I can go back as an Officer if I want to, or ruff it out in the civilian sector. Post 9/11 is baller man, use it while you can...it's worth over $142k for me (value depends on where you live and the cost of the school). It's your money, you better use it. And no more formations!

mingorn · Jun 18, 2013

I agree. I used my Post 911 GI bill and will be finishing my BSN completely debt free. Get out use it and go back as an officer!

CCNP-FL · Jul 24, 2013

I agree w/ Mingorn. Look into options when you ETS and speak to your HRNCO to get you details. The Air Force's equivalent of the Army's AMEDD Recruiter would be helpful too. I just know Army side -- Options in the Guard and Reserves as well, consider that.

At any rate, thanks for what you do, bud. I couldn't manage in AD (which is why I chose to stay Guard ).

kalevra, BSN, RN · Jul 24, 2013

My clinicals occurred during the PM shift 1500-2300.

I recommend you get out, use the GI bill and go to school full time and knock it out ASAP.

While still active duty, you should knock out some pre-reqs like english, math, and some bio classes. This will help speed things along once you decide to leave.

If i knew what I knew now, I would have knocked out the basic stuff online.

Im not even gonna lie, you can pay someone to do your online math class. I mean seriously I am never gonna need to plot the trajectory of a rocket relative to twice earths normal gravity. Nursing math is beyond simple, its the math you use on a daily basis.

There are important pre-reqs and annoying pre-reps. The important ones pertain to the science of nursing like anatomy/physiology/microbiology these are the classes that have the information you will actually use in practice

. The annoying pre-reqs are classes like art/philosophy/calculus/physics/english as debate...etc. These classes are either overkill or completely useless in practice. They act as a filter to keep people out, get a "C" in calculus, well guess your GPA is going to drop. Well guess what, you don't need calculus in real life nursing. Take the path of least resistance.

Task: Be selected for an RN program

Condition: Given the GI bill, enroll into RN pre-req courses.

Standards: 1.Complete these RN pre-req course with at minimum a "B" grade

2. Apply for an RN program

3. Complete task number two within 4 years after military discharge.

I honestly had this written down on my binder as a reminder that the mission comes first. Does not matter how you get there, just that you did.

Im an RN, so yeah this worked for me.

You can do this! It is not difficult! Its just paper work. No one is going to die on you in anthropology. No one is trying to kill you in Spanish class. This is the easiest battle your gonna have.

Good Luck!

anothergrumpyoldRN · Jul 26, 2013

Good luck.

I work with a number of military nurses here in Alaska!

Many of the male nurses here started that way.

Psych Mechanic · Sep 26, 2013

I know this is a few months old but I was looking into the NECP program when I was on Active duty in the Air Force. I was enlisted for 10.5 years, I got out and am using my Post 9/11 GI bill to get my BSN. With the NECP, it is competitive but you are being paid Active Duty pay to complete your last 2 years of school. Use T/A now and then have the Air Force pay the rest in this program.

48 selected for nurse commissioning program

amos24 · May 11, 2016

hello i am a nurse that will be joining the active duty for the army.. i currently don't have my license and will be starting soon for ship out date... during that time i want to ask even anybody can help me out... i have a BSN and if possible can i take the NCLEX examination while on active duty or will the military help me or pay for my examination please reply if you are also in this position or have experience... thank you

amos24 · May 11, 2016

Hi and greeting to all the soldiers that are serving and protecting this great nation, i will be going to basic training pretty soon and then going to Fort Lee... i was wondering if some can answer this question... I am a BSN holder but i have no license i signed up to the army so i can start my life but most of all serve... i was wondering if possible how can i take the nclex during active duty because currently i am reviewing for the LVN and the RN NCLEX... furthermore i would like to change my job description or MOS i would like to stay inside the medical field and furthermore study for my MSN online if anybody can help or guide me it will be wonderful and thank you for it

Wile E Coyote, ASN, RN · May 16, 2016

You're all over the place, amigo.

Already signed up active army? What MOS? Already a nurse but asking about nclex pn AND rn both? Asking about MSN before getting lpn/rn?

What are your goals?

sailornurse · May 17, 2016

I am a BSN holder but i have no license i signed up to the army so i can start my life but most of all serve... i was wondering if possible how can i take the nclex during active duty because currently i am reviewing for the LVN and the RN NCLEX... furthermore i would like to change my job description or MOS

I read some of your other posts since your English appears to be your second language or maybe even your third? You say you are Filipino BSN grad? So you are in the Army headed to basic. Not sure how it works in the Army as I was a Navy Nurse, but if you can change MOS to medic (and I do not know if it is too late or not) the Army medic in some states can take/challenge the LPN/LVN exam. Did your recruiter know you are educated as a nurse? So next question, did you enlist for 4 years active duty & 4 years in-active duty?

anchorRN, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · May 17, 2016

I currently work with an enlisted filipino who has his BSN from a college in the Philippines. He moved to California and was able to get a nursing license (RN) there. But, when he was joining the Navy, the college he attended for his BSN was not approved by the Navy (even though he had his California RN license). So he had to enlist. His only option was to repeat a bunch of classes at an approved university to get his BSN (again), or try and get accepted into a direct entry MSN program. He ultimately decided to enlist, get his GI Bill and go the MSN route. He is finishing up his last month or so of active duty now and headed back to California. I don't know of any university in the Philippines that the DOD recognizes for commission. I could be wrong tho.