Any perspective from other Military Vets

cyc0sys · Nov 14, 2016

I'm a Vet. I was a Airborne Sapper and later worked Intel before I separated. I've had several careers since and only recently finished nursing school. Nursing school was probably one of the toughest things I've done in introspection. It wasn't the hands on or the academics that were the most challenging though.

Dealing with all of the crying, pissing, and moaning was one of the toughest things. Drama abounds and it doesn't end after graduation. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of tough nurses out there who hate the drama, refuse to be catty, and are willing to leave their personal problems at the door, you're just not going to meet many of them in school.

As a Vet you'll already know the importance of keeping you uniform and nurse bag squared away, time management, and following orders. Respect and professional courtesy should be second nature by now and go along way with instructors and clinical sites. However, your biggest advantage is probably going to be, knowing the Suck.

There is plenty of New Suck to be enjoyed like cramming for 3 tests on the 3 different subjects the same day. Old Suck is still around too, like getting shafted by some Blue Falcons during clinical when they pull a disappearing act and you have 5 Geries to bath and dress before 0700. Regardless, you probably had to deal with more stress and Chinese fire drills then most. I just sit back and laughed most of the time because I knew how much worst things could be. Remember, you can go home every night, sleep in your own bed, and drink all the beer you want, and not get shot at.

Whatever you, keep your hands to yourself and don't date a fellow student. The Rumor Mill will run you over and you'll be in the Director's office defending yourself against allegations, sometimes real, other times imaginary. Also, don't be afraid to drop a word to the teaching staff if someone tries to put you in a compromising position or to just clarify things if people are throwing you under the bus. Better to have a chair when the music stops, then to have the door hit you on an unplanned exit.

I recommend keeping your head down and flying under the radar the first few semesters to get a handle on your new area of operation. Help other students when you can because that's just professionalism and sets the standard. Don't be afraid to jump into to some hands on, like pressure dressings or CPR drills because these are things you should know pretty well. On the flip side, don't try to take the lead; it puts a serious target on your back for friendly fire. Sooner or later, other students will recognize your competence and commit to the nursing. This goes long way towards building rapport which you're going to need in order to get things done. It's the whole no 'I' in team mantra and it's the only way you'll make it through.

Best of luck and Godspeed.

Buyer beware, BSN · Nov 15, 2016

OP:

All I'm gonna say is thank you.

Well not all.

As you know your reward for your service is your GI bill benefit.

This benefit is literally gold for you.

It will pay 100% of your schooling.

Go to (collegescorecard.ed.gov) and look them up. (Santa Fe)

One thing you and your fellow vets should know. There are tons of people in this country who respect and love you for your service.

But there are many others especially in education who wish to exploit vets.

These are the for-profit schools.

Although you do not plan on attending one, know that they actively seek to recruit from your demographic for one and one reason alone. That GI bill will pay 100% on the dollar.

So to all vets, stay clear of those who say they love you too much and as always tread softly and be wary of the BS.

Thank you again.

RomeoNovember · Nov 16, 2016

The other comments summed it up pretty well. Being a vet I think gives you some motivation that other students don't have. Besides being "squared away" and respectful and all that, I think the most annoying thing is your classmates are allowed to be sh*tbags if they want to be, and theres really nothing you can do about it, especially if you're grinding out the pre-reqs. The further you get in the program, the more people tend to be motivated to succeed however. That's just college in general though.

As for the GI Bill, 1000% the best benefit we get. Do NOT use it for community college! I applied for Pell Grants and the like, so my tuition was only like $2k a year. That's nothing. Once my pre-reqs were done, that's when I initiated it and applied to a bigger university where my tuition turned into $10k per semester. I may even have some money left over for grad school if I choose to go that route. Being a vet, im always looking for that next step or promotion in rank. PT tests and community service just isn't going to cut it anymore and school doesn't get any cheaper the higher you go...

I second the advice to not date your classmates. I know, being a dude outnumbered 10:1 of females to males should be one of the perks, but once you get into a program, you're going to be with these people for the next 2-3 years. Make some friends, get some numbers, but keep it in your pants until after you graduate. It'll be better for everyone.

Overall I think it's a good fit. I personally have zero medical experience and I'm getting through it alright. My buddy in my class is a medic and from his perspective, he says sometimes it kind of works against him because a civilian nurse is a difference mindset than a combat medic. Stuff you're allowed and not allowed to do, and the type of care is very different. It's almost better to have little to no medical experience so that you can develop your school's bad habits rather than bring in your own.

caliotter3 · Nov 16, 2016

My school had a veterans office, or liaison, or whatever, supposed to help the veteran navigate their way through school. Seek such a department out and see if they can give you any assistance. Unfortunately I found out that office at my school must have been for appearance sake only. That doesn't mean that the same type of office is ineffective everywhere.

gere7404, BSN, RN · Nov 17, 2016

Out of the 6 males in my cohort of 32 students, 3 are veterans. I was a 91W when I was active duty and then I reclassed to 11B, the other two guys have no medical experience at all and they're doing just fine.

Coming from a combat arms background it is kind of weird to have to be so politically correct, a lot of these kids have very little resiliency or ability to handle stress so in a lot of cases I've had to be the rock when SHTF in class and keep people on track when they start freaking out about assignments or at clinical sites.

There's also tons of drama between the girls. Really cliquey, talk crap about each other, I think at least one of them cry in class for something every day. It's a really weird transition from 11B to this.

ALSO, if you get a disability rating from the VA (as long as it's not for your back), see if you can get approved for chapter 31 vocational rehabilitation. Excellent program and from what I understand right now it does not draw from your Chapter 33 pool so you can use it to pay for your RN and then use Chapter 33 for your BSN or MSN.

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

Agree with whats been said here. I'm still active duty (Navy) and already have my BSN. I went the opposite route you did, i did nursing first, then commissioned (but am getting out now within the year).

When I was in nursing school back in the early 2000's, there were 4 guys in my class (of about 40), and only 2 of us graduated. One of the guys who got dropped back because of grades was a prior Army Medic and had an arrogance/know-it-all attitude that just didnt mesh well with the instructors. I think thats a big reason he didnt do well. I also agree with the fly under the radar/keep your head down philosophy. There is much drama in nursing school, just dont get involved with it. Me and the one other guy who ended up graduating ended up being buds and stayed out of the cliquey female drama (sorry, hope not to offend but it was true). Anyway good luck, Nursing is a great career choice and I hope everything works out for you.

ScreamingEagle · Nov 22, 2016

Thank you all so much for your information and reassurance. I am looking forward to getting out of the Army, but more importantly starting school. I've started to study some basic A&P and micro-bio. I also pick my medics brain every chance I get. Santa Fe College's academic advisor sent me an email saying the school would do everything it can to acamodate to my NG training schedule(yeah, I messed up and signed one of those contracts). Once again though, thanks for the advice and encouragement.

gere7404, BSN, RN · Nov 22, 2016

Guard's a lot of fun and depending on the state you might get extra tuition assistance. It wasn't too bad being in the Guard and going to school during my easier prerequisites (read: not A&P or Micro).

However, it wouldn't be very compatible with going to nursing school. My program pretty much requires we prioritize it over all else in our life, they aren't flexible with anybody missing a class, clinical or simulation. We had stupid-long drills in the Guard sometimes (like 5 days, MUTA 8's and 9s); one year we had 113 days of training. One semester of prereqs I had to withdraw from classes a week before finals because my unit said they would but ended up not releasing me from the roster for an NTC rotation -- that would have totally ruined me if I was in nursing school then.

cyc0sys · Nov 23, 2016

Buy the coloring books, cruise the net for mneumonics and games for A&P. Pick up a book on medical terminology if you get a chance. Also check out quizlet, it will be your new best friend once you start school. I'm cross posting this again. Most probably doesn't apply but it was part of my AAR post school.

20. I'd recommend taking a medical terminology course prior to starting. It cuts down on the memorization and will put you far ahead of the power curve in the long run.

21. People can get very cliquish and catty so stay out of the drama, backstabbing, and gossip. What comes around goes around.

22. Let you friends and family know that you no longer have a life but continue to touch base when you can.

23. Learn time management if don't know it already. Get a planner or calendar and run it out at least 2 weeks ahead. Don't forget to plan down time for exercise, TV, or whatever it takes to decompress.

24. Don't date fellow students. If things go bad your stuck with that person for the long haul.

25. Check your feelings at the door. This isn't about you, it's about the patient, following instructions, or learning the information required.

26. Don't ask stupid questions you can find the answers to yourself. Critical thinking requires thought not talk.

27. Know what you don't know. Approach your instructors offline for help prior to getting in over your head. Most people who fall behind don't catch up.

jordanpatriots · Nov 27, 2016

I'm a Vet. I was a Airborne Sapper and later worked Intel before I separated. I've had several careers since and only recently finished nursing school. Nursing school was probably one of the toughest things I've done in introspection. It wasn't the hands on or the academics that were the most challenging though.
Dealing with all of the crying, pissing, and moaning was one of the toughest things. Drama abounds and it doesn't end after graduation. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of tough nurses out there who hate the drama, refuse to be catty, and are willing to leave their personal problems at the door, you're just not going to meet many of them in school.
As a Vet you'll already know the importance of keeping you uniform and nurse bag squared away, time management, and following orders. Respect and professional courtesy should be second nature by now and go along way with instructors and clinical sites. However, your biggest advantage is probably going to be, knowing the Suck.
There is plenty of New Suck to be enjoyed like cramming for 3 tests on the 3 different subjects the same day. Old Suck is still around too, like getting shafted by some Blue Falcons during clinical when they pull a disappearing act and you have 5 Geries to bath and dress before 0700. Regardless, you probably had to deal with more stress and Chinese fire drills then most. I just sit back and laughed most of the time because I knew how much worst things could be. Remember, you can go home every night, sleep in your own bed, and drink all the beer you want, and not get shot at.
Whatever you, keep your hands to yourself and don't date a fellow student. The Rumor Mill will run you over and you'll be in the Director's office defending yourself against allegations, sometimes real, other times imaginary. Also, don't be afraid to drop a word to the teaching staff if someone tries to put you in a compromising position or to just clarify things if people are throwing you under the bus. Better to have a chair when the music stops, then to have the door hit you on an unplanned exit.
I recommend keeping your head down and flying under the radar the first few semesters to get a handle on your new area of operation. Help other students when you can because that's just professionalism and sets the standard. Don't be afraid to jump into to some hands on, like pressure dressings or CPR drills because these are things you should know pretty well. On the flip side, don't try to take the lead; it puts a serious target on your back for friendly fire. Sooner or later, other students will recognize your competence and commit to the nursing. This goes long way towards building rapport which you're going to need in order to get things done. It's the whole no 'I' in team mantra and it's the only way you'll make it through.
Best of luck and Godspeed.

Real talk. Yeah embracing the suck in the Army is definitely a positive experience because you know life could be worse. Not only that, we have been through long ass days with no sleep wearing gear in hot ass and cold ass weather. I'm a 25 year old dude and I haven't gone to nursing school yet but I finish my prerequisites next semester. One of the biggest challenges I believe will be the adjustment in the culture. I was a SGT 13B in the Army and worked with only males. There was no drama. We were brothers and we all had fun and made a competition of everything and we all improved and raised the standards in doing so. I dread the fact that there may be a chance that I will be working with individuals with no loyalty and camaraderie. Regardless, wherever I have been I always adapt and overcome. I always seem to get along with everyone and everyone says my work ethic is the best they've seen. So many people ask why I work so hard. Good luck with whatever you decide. At least seems like you have a solid plan. Of course you may want to research and apply to a few different schools just in case things don't fall through. I recently discovered some schools offer VBSN which is a nursing program for vets. I will be looking into that very soon. I will try to update my status on here with any updates or more knowledge I obtain.

minnesotanick · Dec 16, 2016

I'm a combat vet also in nursing school, and also the opposite of a medic. Its a totally normal profession to be drawn to for those that were formally combat arms. I don't know why. From my company, I know at least 7 people who are nurses now, and a couple more including me pursuing it. Including my best friend who is a RN at a VA hospital. We were all from an Airborne Infantry unit(82nd) that saw a substantial amount of combat. Maybe that has something to do with it.