AFTER MEPS, CAN I refuse signing binding contracts?

crazylilkelly · Jun 7, 2008

As I stated in my previous thread, I will come to the MEPS(thats how its called I assume) for physcial but I wont sign binding contracts (for example, if they offred hospital corpsmen).
I am a nurse right now and trying to pursue my bachelors degree. I dont want to be demoted to become a hospital corpsmen. I respect those hospital corspsmen but I am 25 years old and I have 3 years of RN hospital experience. I believe I should be compensated fairly.
My question is, I want to be a NAVY NURSE, NOT an ENLIST; So is it ok If I dont sign those binding contracts unless they hire me as a navy nurse?????

I know I already said this in the other thread...DO NOT go to MEPS. Talk to a medical recruiter.

allnurses Guide · Jun 7, 2008

As I stated in my previous thread, I will come to the MEPS(thats how its called I assume) for physcial but I wont sign binding contracts (for example, if they offred hospital corpsmen).
I am a nurse right now and trying to pursue my bachelors degree. I dont want to be demoted to become a hospital corpsmen. I respect those hospital corspsmen but I am 25 years old and I have 3 years of RN hospital experience. I believe I should be compensated fairly.
My question is, I want to be a NAVY NURSE, NOT an ENLIST; So is it ok If I dont sign those binding contracts unless they hire me as a navy nurse?????

You will cause nothing, but more trouble for yourself if you go to MEPS. That being said as an enlisted recruit nothing is final until you swear in for the last time. You will more than likely have to go back and do MEPS again if you decide not to go in as an enlisted. I think your last MEPS physical has to be within either 6mo or 12mo from the time you commission.

Also, I have seen LCDR Dan post that Navy nurses don't get credit for their past RN experience where all the other service including USPHS will give time towards your 1st based on how much RN experience you have. For you you would be giving away probably an O-2 position (O-3 I think for USPHS) if you joined the Navy with that much experience. It is just something to think about...that is a lot of money/promotions you would be losing.

It is well worth to check out all the branches including USPHS before making a decision on one branch if possible try to talk to a nurse in your speciality from each branch.

caliotter3 · Jun 7, 2008

When I went in, the physical was only part of a long day which included signing of the contracts. Do not go to the MEPS for the physical. Do as others have advised and have no further contact with this recruiter. Instead get in contact with a nurse recruiter and see what is available to help you get your BSN so you can become an officer. Look around to all of the services and see what each has to offer. If you must, then complete the BSN on your own and THEN sign a contract. But please don't sell yourself short by going in as an enlisted person.

JDCitizen · Jun 15, 2008

When I went in, the physical was only part of a long day which included signing of the contracts. Do not go to the MEPS for the physical. Do as others have advised and have no further contact with this recruiter. Instead get in contact with a nurse recruiter and see what is available to help you get your BSN so you can become an officer. Look around to all of the services and see what each has to offer. If you must, then complete the BSN on your own and THEN sign a contract. But please don't sell yourself short by going in as an enlisted person.

I don't know about Navy but with the Air Force I had my physical before we even considered sitting down to look at a contract. It was a good thing since I received a medical DQ. My advice in any event finish your school so you can set your terms to a better degree.. Afterwards make sure you are talking with a health professions recruiter..

anigethc · Jun 16, 2008

The Navy, from what I do remember, does their physical prior to signing the contract. You can go in and dign all of the contracts that you want. The thing that you have to be worried about is taking the final oath. You don't take the final oath until you are getting ready to ship off to bootcamp.

The other thing is that you need to make sure that you're talking with an officer recruiter and not an enlisted recruiter. The recruiter should tell you what options are open to you.

How close are you to finishing your degree? If you are close to finishing it, there are several other routes open to you. Without your degree finished, you are going to be offered enlisted routes.

Going enlisted is not so bad. I have done it for 10 years now and am currently working on puting in my package to become a Naval Nurse. You have that option also.

The best answer that I see right now is caliotter3.

LLLovely, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2008

I worked at a MEPS and the falsehoods here are somewhat alarming. Either the posters on this thread have very poor memories, do not have a full understanding of contracting, or were told absolute lies by their own enlisted recruiters.

Going to the MEPS and taking a physical obligates you to exactly NOTHING! Don't get me wrong, if you go to the MEPS, you will be pressured, if you are medical qualified and pass the ASVAB, to choose an enlisted job and sign a contract that day to enter the Delayed Entry Program, AKA the DEP program. You do not have to do that! Anything done at the MEPS shy of swearing you in obligates you to NOTHING! It also places NO limits on what you can do in the future provided no disqualifying conditions were discovered.

There are two swear-ins for active, enlisted service members only. Reservists and National Guard members swear in only once (no DEP, unless they are converting from active to Reserve) and officers swear in only once. While there is the possibility of getting out of a DEP contract before a person swears in the second time and ships to basic training or out of any contract before accepting any compensation from the government, it is not a guaranteed right to be able to simply back out. If the service needs you bad enough, and is willing to take it to the mat, they can bring you up on UCMJ charges. Telling someone they are not completely obligated until they go to basic is misleading.

A full MEPS physical is good for two years. If you went in to the MEPS as an enlisted applicant and later got in touch with a medical officer recruiter, then you would have to go back to get some minor additional testing done, more eye tests, EKG possibly.

I do agree that you should see an officer recruiter right away. If you are truly uninterested in being enlisted for a time, then you are wasting the recruiter's time and you will have to go back to MEPS later anyway. As an officer applicant, you get VIP treatment, meaning you do not have to be there at 5:00 am (AKA 0-dark-30) when they open. You get to go to the front of the line and you don't have to do your ortho exam in front of 20 other people, all of whom are also in their undies.

You said you are primarily interested in the Navy. As far as I know, the Navy only recruits nurses who already have BSNs. They do not have a program to pay for RN to BSN. The Army and Air Force do. That means that you would sign an officer contract with them. They would pay for your tuition, possibly an additional stipend, and you would be obligated to service upon graduation. If you failed to graduate or otherwise became ineligible to serve as an officer, then you would likely be obligated to enlisted service and/or paying back all of the money. BOTTOM LINE: Yes, it is okay not to sign those contracts!!! I hope that helps. If you have specific MEPS questions, you can PM me.

jtrauma · Jun 23, 2008

You said you are primarily interested in the Navy. As far as I know, the Navy only recruits nurses who already have BSNs. They do not have a program to pay for RN to BSN. The Army and Air Force do. That means that you would sign an officer contract with them. They would pay for your tuition, possibly an additional stipend, and you would be obligated to service upon graduation. If you failed to graduate or otherwise became ineligible to serve as an officer, then you would likely be obligated to enlisted service and/or paying back all of the money. BOTTOM LINE: Yes, it is okay not to sign those contracts!!! I hope that helps. If you have specific MEPS questions, you can PM me.

Actually, I have spoken with both a Navy recruiter and an AF recruiter and the Navy has bonuses and stipens for RN to BSN and the AF does not. Navy gives $5000 initial sign-on bonus and then 6 months later if you are making a >3.0 GPA you get another $5000, all the while recieving a $1000 stipen per month for up to 24 months while in school. Its called the Nurse Candidate Program. The AF offers a sign-on bonus but only at certain "open" times, whatever that means. The last sign-on bonus they gave to nurses was 55K, I almost choked.

Anyway, just some clarification cause this is recent info in the past week that I have received from Healthcare Recruiters.

Julia

JDCitizen · Jun 24, 2008

Actually, I have spoken with both a Navy recruiter and an AF recruiter and the Navy has bonuses and stipens for RN to BSN and the AF does not. Navy gives $5000 initial sign-on bonus and then 6 months later if you are making a >3.0 GPA you get another $5000, all the while recieving a $1000 stipen per month for up to 24 months while in school. Its called the Nurse Candidate Program. The AF offers a sign-on bonus but only at certain "open" times, whatever that means. The last sign-on bonus they gave to nurses was 55K, I almost choked.
Anyway, just some clarification cause this is recent info in the past week that I have received from Healthcare Recruiters.
Julia

Don't know about the rest but from what I have been told for the Air Force: Open time should be around October with the new budget. What I was told is they ran out of money for this year.