Army Nurse Corp and experience requirement

[Mydreamjob]

If I want to be an army nurse, do I need any RN experience to become an officer?

I received an e-mail from a recruiter who said that I need at least 6 months of work experiences. Is it correct?

Thanks a lot

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

unless the army has recently made changes, prior experience is not required because i was accepted in september and i graduate with my bsn next month with no experience. after obc, i will receive training at my duty station. i know if u have 6 months of training prior to obc, they generally place u at a smaller med center.

so you fall under the roct type i was talking about. i do not mean you are rotc per se... just the type that was recruited while obtaining a bsn as a non-nurse. so, you do not count.

[just_cause, BSN, RN]

MBARN08. No nursing experience is required to be commissioned in the nurse corp -

if this was this case 1) board would be populated with it, 2) MILPER or AR change or official Memo to HRC would be available, 3) why would there be a army nurse candidate program 4) you wouldn't be able to begin commissioning packet at 1 year prior to EAD (ie graduation of BSN date)... and 5) you would not be the only one with this knowledge.

... I'm trying to imagine the extensive benefits that 6mo exp presents the army... I will say that WHEN the Army's trial run of the preceptor rotation was going on you weren't eligible after 6mo of exp.. but that program is not standard as it wasn't feasible and now just done informally on station.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

i'd like to see this info in writing.. aside from a verbal to posting.... i say this because of all the branches and all specialties... med, infantry, signal, pt, ot, linguist... on and on none require prior experience for initial accession - and that is still true for nursing until a milper or ar regulation change has taken place to supersede current regulation, regardless of what a recruiter says.

this is a good point... one should always see everything in writing. however, i suspect recruiters can ignore applicants if they choose... especially if there is no shortage of applicants. so i will reword my statement. some recruiters are ignoring registered nurse applicants with less then six months work experience especially specialties that the registered nurse wishes to have written in his/her contract. like my recruiter.

[just_cause, BSN, RN]

That is correct because gaining specialty identifiers is based on hours of experience... 2000 hours. However, four specialties (OB, CritCar, Psch, OR) can gain a future course guarantee into their contract.

Sounds like communication issues to me, but your posting on this board can mislead others when you are relating your specific problem ie sounds like you are trying to gain specific MOS specialty w/o experience requirements, as have always been in place, and thus thinking it is new.

best of luck

[Mydreamjob]

I contacted a nursing recruiter and asked her if I need experiences. She said, "No, you don't need to have experiences if you are active duty."

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

that is correct because gaining specialty identifiers is based on hours of experience... 2000 hours. however, four specialties (ob, critcar, psch, or) can gain a future course guarantee into their contract.

sounds like communication issues to me, but your posting on this board can mislead others when you are relating your specific problem ie sounds like you are trying to gain specific mos specialty w/o experience requirements, as have always been in place, and thus thinking it is new.

best of luck

med surg (the one area probably lacking the need for six month experience) is closed right now to rns. my recruiter told me he has no idea when it will be opening up again. priority goes to the people who already signed contracts. thus, by default, there is a six month requirement to join the active duty army at this time because only a few specialties are open. i did not mean to make it sound otherwise, so thank you for clarifying.

[just_cause, BSN, RN]

MBARN, you can sign up as a 66 w/o any experience... you can gain contract to get schooling to qualify and place you in psych, mother/baby, OR or critical care - typically spend 1-3 years at first station until school: variables depend if station has school on site, school billets, chain of command etc....

Quota's are typically annual and aligned with new fiscal year. Yes Priority goes to those who are already slotted to go in.. its pretty much like this every year.

best of luck. I can't comment if billets are full at this time or not.. if I were you I would try and compare with other people.