Are there JOBS in the Army Nurse Corps?

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Hi everyone,

I graduated with an ADN in December, taking the NCLEX this month. I've been really stressed out about how there are literally no jobs for new grads, and been considering joining the Army Nurse Corps. I would be Army Reserve since I only have an associates degree.

My questions here mainly goes out to nurses who have joined the Army Nurse Corps and their experiences with it. Any advice? How does employment as a nurse work in the army?

Thanks for any help!

-Lisa

FLmomof5

1,530 Posts

You will not be allowed in the Army Nurse Corps with an ADN/ASN for either AD or reserves.

That being said, your state Army National Guard WILL allow you to have less than your BSN! (qualifier....IF they need nurses. I called the FLANG and they need PAs not RNs. :( )

shjoll

24 Posts

not true the army reserve allows u to have your asn. u work one weekend a month 2 weeks a year

Ellekat

78 Posts

Have you considered the Air Force? I don't know requirements, but a recruiter kept telling me how great it was until I finally told him my age. I'm too old. lol.

BSN for active duty. ASN for reserves. Ellekat, the Army will actually take you for AD up to age 42. After that they have a special program for nurses aged 43 to 60. Just food for thought.

Mods - can this thread be moved to our military forum? I'd answer some of these questions but I'm USAF, not USA.

To the OP - the Air Force will not take an RN with only an ADN; a BSN is required. They used to take an ADN with a BS/BA in another field, but given the number of applicants in the current economy that's not actually an option anymore.

anonymurse

979 Posts

BSN for active duty. ASN for reserves. Ellekat, the Army will actually take you for AD up to age 42. After that they have a special program for nurses aged 43 to 60. Just food for thought.

43 to 60? Got a link to further info? TIA!

Mods - anyone there? :) Please move this to the military forum as there are a few RNs there who can really help these folks.

panman

16 Posts

Mods - anyone there? :) Please move this to the military forum as there are a few RNs there who can really help these folks.

I've been looking into the reserves and wasn't aware there was a military forum on this website - and in looking, I haven't been able to locate one.

Could you post a link by chance?

panman

16 Posts

I spent quite a bit of time trying to locate such a link earlier today. Thanks!

panman

16 Posts

Finally regarding Lisa's original post,

In searching the net, from what I can gather, ADN's are on the way out in terms of acceptance by the army, already for Navy and Air Force. For now anyway - probably the economy - which probably isn't going to change anytime soon. Then again, if you're willing to go where and do what nobody wants to, who knows. As I've read countless times, there's a waiver for everything. My guess is persistence will pay off.

Also, apparently the fiscal military year begins in October so till then may not seem so fruitful in inquiry.

But it reminds me how all my life I'd heard the field of nursing was going to phase out ADN's and I ended up going through an accelerated program in '85 to get a BSN. Then again, in the late 90's my director told me PNP's were going to be replacing psych RN's which I thought absurd at the time cause they fulfill completely different roles. But you go online and you see PNP's in big demand, not much for psych nurses. Tons of international nurses are working in the states where they used to be none. There is no nursing shortage any more and there's an endless supply from overseas. Times change, slowly it seems but actually dramatically over long periods of time. It pays to pay attention.

I'm not exactly military minded material. In fact I was approved to go into the Air Force in '90 but passed, probably mostly due to a life of optimal circumstances at the time. Circumstances have changed and I'm looking into the military's "elderly" option. Read lots of mixed stories but it does seem like the medical core is more "civilian-like" than one would expect and doable. For me at this time it would seem to kill several birds with one stone. Another option you might look into is as a civilian employed by the military. That could expand your options, test the waters, maybe get an inside track.

Best of luck in your search

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