Any military wives in here??

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Hi,

Im Shawnette, and I guess you could say im a pre-nursing student and cna. My husband is a sgt in the army...and plans to stay that way. I was just wondering if there are any nurses or nursing students are in this board and if they could tell me thier experiences balancing thier hubbys career and thier own. For now, im lucky because I should be able to finish school in one place. Does anyone find nursing a career that will follow them everywhere? Has being a military wife ever stopped you from your own goal?? Thanks!

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I was active duty Navy (not in nursing) and then married an Air Force guy. Yes, I did put my nursing dreams on hold. We were overseas in Japan, Spain, Alaska, and Korea so getting a nursing education wasn't possible. In 1990, we got stationed at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas and I started school, got pre-reqs done (again!) and then he unexpectedly came down on orders - ugh. I got my LPN license and then we moved to Indianapolis. The waiting list at the public schools was 3-4 years long (and this was in 1994) so I went to Marian College (read; big $$$$) and got my ADN then he retired and we moved to IL.

I wouldn't trade any of the experiences that I had - we were separated up to a year at a time with deployments, remote tours, etc. However, as I've found out, nursing will always be here and we can work forever - lol!

Seriously though ladies - we sacrifice a lot for our husbands and our country and I salute you all - you have an unenviable job!

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Specializes in CNA.

Air Force wife here! I'm currently a CNA and will be enrolling into school sometime in the next several months (I have to wait a while since I'm re-enlisting with the Air Guard out here in Tucson and will have to go to my tech school for that). Anyway, I'm hoping that I'll be able to finish out everything while we're here at Davis-Monthan. Most people who are stationed here have been here about 7+ years. My husband told me that if I'm not done with schooling or finishing a contract with the hospital (if I go through that program where they pay for your schooling), he will do all he can to extend his tour here so that we won't have to be apart and our son can be with both of us. Just because he's got the military career doesn't mean that my plans should be on hold. Sometimes it's hard to avoid, but we're doing what we can.

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I'm a Navy wife. I met my husband just after my first year of school. My husband didn't want to marry until I graduated and at least had a job and he made HM2, so luckily I didn't have to put schooling on hold. He's also managed to stay in San Diego county so far so we haven't had to move. Luckily he has friends, after he graduated from IDC school in 2006 he randomly got penciled in for orders to Japan and I would have been 8 mos preggo at the time and wouldn't have been cleared to go until after the baby was born. Luckily a friendly chief caught it in time. Because of his benefits I work per diem (I do work full time hours being in Southern California) but it allows me to have all weekends except one Sunday a month and most holidays off. I think nursing is a better career than most if you'll be moving frequently. Luckily with the military, most likely you can live in housing and not having to worry about rent and some bills if you happen to live in an area where the job market isn't great.

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Specializes in NICU, High-Risk L&D, IBCLC.

Navy wife here! I finished prereqs at community colleges and then ended up going back home to do final two years of my entry-level BSN program. So while his career has not necessarily hindered mine, it took a lot of sacrifice being away for those two years! He was deployed for six months of that time, and the rest of the time we saw each other every long weekend, spring/fall break, and summer.

I agree with previous post that nursing is a fantastic career for military wives. Schedules are usually flexible, and nurses are needed virtually everywhere (although I've heard that landing a job at an overseas station can be next to impossible - haven't experienced overseas myself).

Welcome!

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Ortho/HH/Radiology-Now Retired.

I'm an Aussie military (retired) wife.

Being a nurse made it possible for me to obtain work wherever we were posted.

My career did suffer in many respects due to all the moves.

In my experience, those of us who were nurses, fared better then many other military wives.

I was the one who had to make the most career sacrifices in order to follow and support my husband's career.

However, we worked as a team, co-operated, compromised where possible, and we both survived! :)

I'm being rewarded now for the hard work, sacrifices etc. We're retired young and having the time of our lives! Travelling and enjoying each and every day being in command of our own lives. Married 32 years and going strong! :)

I wish you, and all the other military wives, all the very best!

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Air Force wife here! I'm currently a CNA and will be enrolling into school sometime in the next several months (I have to wait a while since I'm re-enlisting with the Air Guard out here in Tucson and will have to go to my tech school for that). Anyway, I'm hoping that I'll be able to finish out everything while we're here at Davis-Monthan. Most people who are stationed here have been here about 7+ years. My husband told me that if I'm not done with schooling or finishing a contract with the hospital (if I go through that program where they pay for your schooling), he will do all he can to extend his tour here so that we won't have to be apart and our son can be with both of us. Just because he's got the military career doesn't mean that my plans should be on hold. Sometimes it's hard to avoid, but we're doing what we can.

Hey southernbelle...which program are you talking about, that pays for your schooling?

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I know for army...they have a new thing where if your husband has 6 years in and re-ups he can give you his GI bill....we might do that for me to go back and get a bachelors...right now im paying out of pocket for my ADN but its not that expensive....

Wow...I think you guys for the all the replies...but I have to ask...how did your career suffer? Was it because you didnt have the chance to advance or get the job you wanted?

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Army wife here. I start my last semester of ADN program in one week. It's been a long haul to get where I am right now. I worked my butt off to get all my pre-req's done (with good enough grades to get in the FTCC program) while we were stationed at Bragg.

It took two years for me to get accepted, and the month the acceptance letters came out was the month my hubby got orders for another post. So one move and one year later I was lucky enough to get into the local program and am about to graduate in May 08.

I jokingly (but in truth very serious) said that I wasn't leaving here until I got my degree even if it ment he had to PCS without us. I figured I had weathered three deployments and several schools where he was gone months at a time that it was his turn to sacrifice for me. Luckily he didn't come down on orders and it looks like he'll be stabilized long enough for me to complete my BSN.

I plan on getting my MSN after gathering a few years of clinical experience and have decided that when that time comes then he'll have to sacrifice some of his comfort level again.

I guess I just got tired of everything always being about him, him, him, without any leway for what I wanted out of life.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming the Army or him (I have 7 years prior service under my belt) for deployments, etc. I just got tired of the notion that I was going to drop everything I was doing to accomodate his schedule just because I was the wife.

I mostly think that perserverance is the key. Just keep chipping away at your goal and eventually it will come together.

Angela

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Specializes in Obs & gynae theatres.

I guess I just got tired of everything always being about him, him, him, without any leway for what I wanted out of life.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming the Army or him (I have 7 years prior service under my belt) for deployments, etc. I just got tired of the notion that I was going to drop everything I was doing to accomodate his schedule just because I was the wife.

Angela

That's exactly how I feel.

Too bad my Mother-in-law told me at Xmas that it was my job to follow him and support his career. What does she think I've been doing for the last 16 years?!?!? :angryfire

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Oh no she didn't!

As long as your husband supports you, tune out his Mommy. She was likely raised to believe that it was her job to stand by her man. It's 2008 grandma, Ladies can have careers too! Let him stand by you for a change.:devil:

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