ANC Nov Board & M5 ID

rnburnout, i understand that you are upset by our posts. our posts, however, are directed toward the nurses trying to join m5 in the army. a long time ago my dad, former enlisted army, informed me that if i were to join the army i need my contract to state what i want to do. otherwise, i cannot expect the army to provide me with a particular opportunity or training. i know that there are stories and rumor to the contrary, but they mean nothing to me. if my contract does not state that i am m5, i am not m5. of course, this is not to write that i think med surg is less then the er! i absolutely respect med surg nurses, especially the ones who gain additional certs and live, eat, breathe sleep med surg. however, med surg is not for me at this time.

i worked adult med surg for more then a year (as a tech and as a nurse) prior to finding a job in the er 2 hours away from my home. i have wanted to be a trauma nurse in the army since i was child! therefore, since before attending nursing school i worked on making this a reality.

in the past two years i have worked hard to land a job in the er, worked hard to gain the hours and certifications in the er, and i have worked hard to pay for my schooling and to complete my bsn in order to join the army as m5. if i were to join as 66h now with a few months until i qualify for m5, i would be going backwards in my career and not forward (i know you are gung-ho about joining the army, but even current active duty soldiers make decisions based upon his/her careers and they are not less loyal to the army for doing so).

by the way, as a peds nurse, you are technically a med surg nurse. the transition for you will not be great after 1 or 2 years working as a 66h. for those of us with a trauma background it will be re-living our first year as a new grad when we transition back to the er after a long break. shifting gears is not the only difference between med surg and the er. skills sets and critical/clinical thinking skills are different too. for instance, i mix all of my drugs in the er and i know drugs that can stop a heart if mixed or administered incorrectly. not to mention that i am required to perform math all shift every night in the er. if i go back to med surg, i will lose those skills along with many others because med surg is different. gl.

MBARN08...um i mix my own drugs too. I work at a facility that the pharmacist leaves after 1700 on the weekends. we run our own codes. half of my kids are on ventilators or have new trachs. No kids get IV meds without 2 RNs calculating dosages seperately. In pediatrics we dont have standard adult dosages and their little bodies cant handle even the smallest errors. I worked an adult ER but quit because they wanted to short my orientation d/t being grossly understaffed, the only thing new for me there was hearts and strokes. now im content to run down and start the ERs IVs on their babies. actually ready to try something else i get bored easily. But much respect to those that can handle the drunks and pill seekers and combatives all night.

Let's just throw some good news here:yeah:! My previous supervisor did not reply to my email when I emailed her, but she actually did the letters and sent it in express mail Friday. My recruiter got both the recommendation letters today. Wow! What a blessing! I could not believe it, but it just happen.

Peace out co-nurses. We have all things in one, to take care of our patient no matter what field are we in...I love and proud to be a nurse no matter where I work or specialty I am in...I love my work, and I can still eat a good dinner after sticking the smelly smell of c-diff to my noise..

mbarn08...um i mix my own drugs too.

when i worked med surg, i did not mix my own drugs unless they were prepared. i did not mix, handle, or administer critical meds, drips (except for when i worked cardiac step down), perform rapid assessments, start many ivs... place many foleys, ng tubes, etc....

actually, i was trying to be nice in telling you that you will not have a huge transition, but it sounds like you will be losing some of what you gained too. if this is ok with you, then it is ok. i am not arguing with your choice. it is your contract, you are the one obligated to meet the expectations. it is not the same choice i choose to make and it does not make me less loyal to the army or those whom i will serve.

Congrats, Elumine!

you can review the course guarantee info and it is not available for er.

the available options for course guarantee are the following four options: critical care, pscyh, or and labor/delivery.

hi, just_cause. i like your attention to detail.... excuse the confusion... i was referring to the course guarantee in critical care. according to my recruiter i qualify to have that placed in my contract if i go 66h. however, it does not matter any more since i plan to submit a packet for m5 in a few months. on the other hand, do you know if m5 nurses get to attend the critical care course even if they have m5 in their contract? thanks.

hi, just_cause. i like your attention to detail.... excuse the confusion... i was referring to the course guarantee in critical care. according to my recruiter i qualify to have that placed in my contract if i go 66h. however, it does not matter any more since i plan to submit a packet for m5 in a few months. on the other hand, do you know if m5 nurses get to attend the critical care course even if they have m5 in their contract? thanks.

i would recommend just signing your contract and including the course guarantee - indicating critical care. then along your route you continue your m5 submission... as backup if that didn't pan out you simply ask/prod/request to get your chain of command to send you to er course after you get to your unit and establish yourself.... and as the worst case scenario is m5 is denied.. you get to duty station and for whatever can't get to er route then you have course guarantee and off to critical care course.

so i'd do it.. getting the course guarantee will not obligate you to attend by any means - just leaves some options for you in the future so i'd definitely opt for it with the understanding of the above.

best of luck.

I am officially frustrated I was supposed to meet my recruiter today to re-sign, turn in more copies, and i was cancelled:banghead:

I wonder do they even realize today was the due date...yes, I pointed it out. I am going to be seriously angry if I miss out on this FY because of idiocy....

I am praying this works out somehow

Oh my gosh Trauma...that is ridiculous...Why did you get canceled? Did your recruiter have a good reason? Don't worry about the 11/2 date. All that meant is that USAREC wanted the packets up to the review boards so that all the glitches were out before the actual board. You still have time...Don't bang your head too much, you're gonna need it for the possible fights still ahead!!! LOL!!! Keep your head up!!!