Any military nurses out there?

SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN · Aug 31, 2014

Most of your questions already have answers. You can peruse the board below:

The military is highly competitive these days, especially the nurse corps. I can tell you that the Army isn't accepting new grads and that other branches are accepting them in very small, limited numbers.

I'd strongly recommend that you not join at this point unless you want to do nothing other than military nursing. Especially if you want to see your fiancé, then really give it some thought. Unless you're stationed within a certain radius of him, you'll either have to take leave or a pass to go and see him, and that could really get expensive if you have to fly. I live in a different state than my husband and we only see each other twice a month for a few days at a time--and that's if my schedule doesn't change last minute, if the pass request/leave request goes through, etc.

Military nursing is going to demand the vast majority of your time, especially if you want to stay in. The fun, cool duty stations are going to be more difficult to get as well, and because you're not married to your fiancé, the military isn't going to officially recognize the relationship, making it even more difficult for you to plead a case to see him. Really think about what you're doing here. PM me if you have any questions.

Source information: I'm an active duty Army nurse with over 3.5 years of experience.

RunBabyRN · Aug 31, 2014

Former Navy corpsman here with several Navy nurse friends. New grad RN who got licensed in June myself.

Really, it's early yet in your job search. I have met several nurses in my area who graduated last December and aren't working in ANY nursing jobs. Many people, myself included, go to retail, waitressing, etc after graduation for a bit. I started my job search back in February or March, but I found something right after I got licensed, doing wellness clinics. It doesn't pay much, and it's very per diem, but it was a start. I then found an infusion position, and signed up with some companies doing flu clinics. I was finally able to quit my retail job and am able to pay the bills with nursing work, but I'm definitely not yet in my desired area of nursing. I have some promising leads right now, and I'm following them all to see where they lead. I have put out well over 1,000 applications in the last 6 months, and I have searched in very out of the box ways to find the things I'm doing. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, which has the WORST market in the US, especially for new grads. CA overall has a 43% unemployment rate for the first 18 MONTHS post-graduation.

Now, as to the military, I don't think it's quite what you envision. As SoldierNurse22 stated, they aren't taking new grads. Joining the military isn't something to take lightly. You are government property, and you are constantly reminded of this. They will put you where they want you. One of my friends is a peds nurse, and we were in a Naval clinic together. She was in Family Practice and rarely saw peds. We even had a peds department, but she didn't get to work there.

Considering doctors have to move to wherever they find work, I can't imagine joining the military would be a recipe for success for your relationship, to be honest. You two would be very unlikely to be in the same place.

I joined hoping to go overseas somewhere, even to one of the not-as-cool places. They sent me to Rhode Island. I believe that was my fourth choice on my dream sheet. You go where there's a billet. If you want to be in AZ, but there's no billet open there, you don't get to go. Period.

Check out the Government/Military Nursing forum, as well as the Career tab at the top, as there are a couple of fora just for the first year of nursing. It might help you to realize you're not alone in your job search struggles, and you may find ways to find work.

CourtneyRN2014 · Sep 11, 2014

Thanks for your posts I really appreciate it. I used to date someone in the military and he seemed to have zero cares in the world and he was very well off and everything was paid for. BUT he was 27, divorced, and about to be transferred overseas and always had trouble maintaining relationships. I also heard that the military would pay for me to get my nurse anesthetist which is what my long term goal is and why I was very interested. But after research I do not think it would be for me. Thank you so much for your feedback it helped a lot. When you are struggling to make ends meet one can start to become a little desperate... It helps to know I'm not the only one in this boat.

RunBabyRN · Sep 12, 2014

Thanks for your posts I really appreciate it. I used to date someone in the military and he seemed to have zero cares in the world and he was very well off and everything was paid for. BUT he was 27, divorced, and about to be transferred overseas and always had trouble maintaining relationships. I also heard that the military would pay for me to get my nurse anesthetist which is what my long term goal is and why I was very interested. But after research I do not think it would be for me. Thank you so much for your feedback it helped a lot. When you are struggling to make ends meet one can start to become a little desperate... It helps to know I'm not the only one in this boat.

Yes, a lot of people have difficulty maintaining relationships when they're in the military. Most get married at their first duty station, then get divorced fairly soon after their first PCS (transfer).

I haven't heard about the military paying for CRNA, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't. You'd need to have experience, though (to get your CRNA, period). It sounds like you've ruled out the military at this point. It's definitely NOT for everyone, and it can be very shocking to lose a certain amount of control over your own life.

I can definitely relate to the struggle! Even with some good leads right now, it's tough and it's frustrating. It feels like a just need this little push over the crest of the hill, and I CANNOT do it myself. Gah. :sour:

You'll find your way! :) Figure things out with your fiance and his medical career and see what happens. Good luck!

Cutandstitch · Sep 12, 2014

In the army, they will offer you options to specialize. If crna is your goal, you can come in and do a few years as a med surg nurse and then take the 8A course for critical care nursing. After a few years in critical care you could be competitive for the crna course which is taught at USUHS in Maryland and maybe another location.

I'm not entirely sure what the situation with accession is like today, or how it varies if at all from day to day.

However, the fiscal year ends at the end of this month and that can open many doors. It is definitely worth talking to the AMEDD recruiters to find out what they currently are offering. Student loan repayment is a normal incentive. Additionally, you'll get experience to remove the "new grad" stigma if you decide to not continue in the military..