Army Branch Transfer

olderthandirt2 · Dec 26, 2008

I thought I'd at least throw this out there to try and get some information. I have already received my commission in the Army and have a bachelor's degree and master's. I'm starting work for an ADN and am wondering if it is possible to transfer branches to the Army Nurse Corps with an ADN. I know the Army wants you to have a BSN. Is there any possibility the Army would help me turn the ADN into a BSN? I'm weighing and considering my options and want to keep costs low.

Are you reserve or active? Reserve ANC accepts ADNs. If you are active duty, BSN is required. You can do a ADN to BSN pretty quickly (since you have a Bachelor) and use the SLRP program or strap.

Good luck,

c.

just_cause, BSN, RN · Dec 26, 2008

There is also a "FNEP" funded nurse education program for active duty enlist and commissioned (though there is a max rank... you can look up with program details) where if you can finish your BSN in X amount of months they pay your tution and such and send you to school to then serve in nurse corp... search ako or web for FNEP.

best of luck.

JulesQ · Jan 6, 2010

I''m currently in FNEP at AASU in Savannah.

FNEP is for active duty, commissioned officers that want to switch branches and become a nurse. I won't bore you with the paperwork details, but one crucial thing is that before being accepted into FNEP, your losing branch must accept the transfer, and you must do whatever it takes to get accepted into the BSN program of the school that you want to attend, including taking any pre-req courses, on your own time.

In my case, with a computer science degree in which I took a year of chemistry, and nearly had a minor in math, I still had to complete A&P 1&2, 1 semester of Microbiology w/lab, and Life Span Development. However, what those pre-reqs are will be entirely dependent upon the nursing school you are trying to get accepted in. You must be able to graduate within 24 months or you will have to keep on taking courses on your own until you can do this. You cannot have more than 7 years of total commissioned service and cannot be a major or above. And, of course, you must do whatever it takes to get accepted into the BSN program on your own. In my case, I also had to take a political science course on the US Constitution and Georgia history in addition to the normal nursing curriculum. (Thank you for that one AASU!)

GI.Z · Apr 12, 2011

i''m currently in fnep at aasu in savannah.
fnep is for active duty, commissioned officers that want to switch branches and become a nurse.
.... you must be able to graduate within 24 months or you will have to keep on taking courses on your own until you can do this. ... and, of course, you must do whatever it takes to get accepted into the bsn program on your own.

julesq,

your statements are very insightful and has given me a picture of the challenges involved with the fnep. i've been reviewing the fnep guidelines and some of the requirements appear to be almost impossible to achieve. "

"total cost for tuition will not exceed $11,000 per academic year (no exceptions), and a $500 allowance for books and fees. participants are not authorized to privately fund tuition cost above $11,000. the college or university must provide a letter of understanding to waive the cost of tuition above $11,000 or the participant will be directed to attend another school." i have yet to see a california program that fits their price range nor can i see any school waiving cost of tuition. i would pay for the difference but apparently that's also unacceptable. aside from the financial aspect of fnep, i don't understand why the program offers to provide an opportunity to complete an entry-level msn when all entry-level msn require 36 months to complete.

"be within 24 consecutive calendar months or less of obtaining a bsn or entry-level msn from an accredited and approved educational institution."

unfortunately, i would take courses on my personal time to knock down that 36 month timeline but most schools have their curriculum set up very rigidly and those upper level courses require admission to a full-time program to attend. i want to serve my army in another field where i feel that i'm more directly involved with soldiers. as officers, we move further away from that interaction with soldiers as we move up the ranks. i really liked taking care of soldiers at the pl level and would like to do more. joining the nurse corp would be that step in taking care of our soldiers when they need it most.

if anyone has managed to achieve this (early entry msn program), then please please offer me any advise.

ArmyRNOB · Apr 17, 2011

You are right; there are many hoops to jump through in order to be eligible for FNEP. This is very typical of these funded education programs - I am going through something similar myself. Waivers are hard to come by, but not always impossible. I suggest talking to a health care recruiter and/or the branch managers of the nurse corps to see what your next step could be.

Have you tried San Diego State? They offer in state tuition for active duty and it's less than $10K a year for the MSN program (which is 24 months long if you already have your BSN). Good luck!