Army Nursing

Oh yeah, of course that would make me a CO, commissioned officer in the end.

It is not a bad life. The deployments suck at times, esp being away from family, but the rewards are substantial. I saw where you wanted to fly in a chopper. It has been my exp that most med-evac choppers are manned by medics and not nurses. There could be times that you would fly, but it would be rare. The best "flight" job for a nurse is with the Air Force - fixed wing. These are the birds that fly wounded soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines from a CSH to a higher level of care in Germany or back to the states. The only problem there is the Air Force only takes BSN and active duty Army only takes BSN. Now if you go reserve Army you can commission as a 2LT with a ADN and go on to get your BSN. Once you get your BSN you can go from reserve components to active duty with the permission of your commander. It is normally done with no problems. I can tell you that the exp you get in the Army will make your resume all the more impressive. Best of luck to you. (I am currently deployed in Afghanistan.) :usarm:

1. Recruiters lie. Even if you 'get it in writing' that is no guarantee. in reality, you'll get placed wherever they need an RN.

2. Consider you might end up doing a tour in Iraq or Trashcanistan. I did 14 months over in Iraq, and it really sucked!

I'm in the same boat as you, maestroree.

I've been looking for a while, and not many leads out there. I have an interview this week, but that's it. I'm married with no kids. I've considered the Navy. I got the packet and it looks interesting. Three year committment. I have a BSN, so I would join as an officer and no "boot camp". I know the experience would look awesome on my resume. My husband says this should be a "last resort", and I agree. Would I love to have a hospital job in Boston? Yeah. But I can wait another 6 months for that to happen. I have to consider all the possibilities.

gabirder, thanks for the response. Yeah, that's what the recruiter was saying, 2LT, 22 months of pay to secure my BSN. Heck, it would probably only take half that time cause I have tons of undergraduate credits already ... was a junior pursuing a psychology degree before i switched over and got my ADN. The quicker I finish, tle less time I would 'owe' the reserves. He mentioned that too, that I could go active with the permission of my commander. Either way, I have a god job in a rehab facility right now, so the 'extra' money would be just that ... extra. Of course, I want to go active asap. Does the Army pay for 'any' accredited degree, such as college network, all on-line BSN? That would be nice, too. Anyway, thanks. Keep the replies coming. This is very encouraging!

Trashcanistan ... ROFL! I think I lived there once!

By the way, half way through typing this post, I got another call from the recruiter. Looks like there is a way for me to go active right away with the Army Nurse Candidate Program. He's gonna meet with me and go over the requirements, but it looks good so far. It's 10,000 sign on, 1000 a month stipend, and same thing, Army pays to finish my degree. It just looks like I would not 'owe' the reserves any time.

I am considering going into the Army. Would appreciate any feedback on my quesitons. I am 54. I have a BSN. I spent 11 years as a VA nurse. Does anybody know if the VA years would count toward a gov retirement if I go active duty? Also, would my wife be covered on the day I would sign papers? And if there is any other advice out there on this subject, I would much appreciate.

maestro - Yes the Army will pay for you to continue your education, and you get paid while you do it. There is tuition assistance and other things. As for advanced degress the army has one of the best CRNA programs around. It requires at least 1 year critical care exp, although you can substitute ED exp. From what I have been reading it is almost never full. It is a 33 month program with most if not all in San Antonio. (Great city by the way and close to South Padre Island. - but thats just a perk). Once you are CRNA you owe them 4.5 years. You also get a yearly bonus on top of your pay and allowances. This may be true for RNs also - esp critical care. btw once you are in the military Brenau University has an online RN to BSN program that you can complete in as little as a year, and since you would be military the cost is $245 or $285 per credit hour. This may sound like a lot, but is much cheaper than many other schools.

tthor - Yes some if not all of your time with the VA should count towards federal retirement. And your wife would be covered once you went to San Antonio for your nurses course. I think it is 8 wks, but not sure about that. It is not at all like basic training. It is a "gentleman's course". And again it is in San Antonio. Can you tell I love that place? BAMC the hospital there at Ft Sam is state of the art. It has one of the best burn centers in the world.

Best of luck to you both. It is a decision that should require a lot of thought. Know this too, when you deploy to a war zone you will most often work in a CSH and will see many soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines that have the most devistating of injuries. PTSD is a very real thing and there is a high prevalence of it with military medical professionals. We see a lot and try as you might it is impossible to forget the 19 yo engaged marine that has had a traumatic double amputation of both lower extremeties or the 33 yo father/husband whose hand you hold as he takes his last breath and all he can say is please tell my family I love them. I love the time I have spent in the Army and would not trade it for anything in this world, but I have had enough. I have reached my limit. I am finished as soon as I return from Trashcanistan in March. As nurses we are naturally caring and comforting. It does get to be too much at times. We make the most of it though. We laugh and cry together. We see pain and suffereing yes, but we also bring great comfort to those who are hurting. Sorry, not trying to scare you off, just want you to be prepared.

God bless. Please let me know how things go. :usarm:

Carl

Carl, thanks for the response. There is much to consider. One of the biggest emotional factors will be going away from my five year old for a time. He is still young enough that I will feel the devastation more than he will, but it won't be forever and it will provide much more security for us in terms of financial stability as well as propel me over the final educational hurdle towards my bachelor's. I work in a long term care facility on the rehab unit and feel like I am stuck. This might just be the next step for me. We'll see. I have an appointment with the medical recruiting office this coming Tuesday morning. I hope I hear what I want to hear. I'll keep you all posted.

Yes thank you Carl for the information. I am well aware of where I may be sent and what I may be doing should I decide this action. I am not really sure if I would be considered as I have had open heart surgery and valve replacement, although it was 6 years ago. The current job market and my age would point me in this direction should I choose it, but I would not make the decision lightly.