Army Nursing

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I just joined the army nurse corp and I will be leaving for training in July. The Mthat will be giving me my first duty station called and asked where I would like to be stationed for my first assignment (she told me I will most likely get my first choice). I told her Landstuhl, Germany, however, I am afraid I may have made the wrong choice (I am in between Hawaii and Germany). I would like some advice on where I should request to be stationed. Has any one been stationed in Germany. Where would I live (on or off base). Will I be living with Americans and see them around often. Also, I am a little nervous about the weather ( I heard it is cold and rainy ; is that true). Also, I am a very outdoorsy person and like to be active which is why I was thinking of requesting Hawaii. I am single and 21 (if that changes anything). Will I be working with patients coming from Iraq and Afganistan? I appreciate all the advice that I hope I recieve. I am just a little nervous because it is for the next three years of my life! Thanks for taking the time to respond!

Specializes in Advanced Practice, Home Care, Med-Surg,.
Did that include having to get references from people all over again?

That has always been the biggest pain in the tail for me. Getting people for refs is easy, but it's the actually following through part to actually get them done & in the mail. My recruiter was saying since the active slots I wanted were closed right now, I might as well do reserves for a year & then go active when the slots are open....so I'm assuming that should mean getting the paperwork done immediately so it's ready the moment the slots are open.

OF COURSE, NOW it might not even matter. As since my last MEPS had expired (in October) after I had PASSED it & had been approved with the exact same past medical paperwork in their hands at that time as they do now (nothing new has been added since then)...the NEW Doctor told my recruiter yesterday that he wasn't even going to bother seeing me for my second MEPS & that I was disqualified on the spot. Grrrrr.... So I'm going to pursue it by getting new tests & seeing what they say to hand over for reevaluation.

I did my physical at Ft. Sam with the AMEDD tour. You should see if you can get it done there, apparently the process is easier and more "lenient" from what I could see. Good luck!

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, Home Care, Med-Surg,.
Germany is great!!!! You will enjoy the weather, sightsee and the various touring sites. Most of all the culture. I have been in 14 years current preparing my packet for direct commission just graduated and passed my boards. I see you all are direct commissioned can you please tell me what to expect and how long to wait. I have been reading post of people enrolling in the Army Nurse Candidate program due to uncertainty of having a slot for the direct commission. Can you please tell me your experience with direct commission? Thanks in advance

This is my time line, not sure if any different for a new grad but I don't think it would be much different, I am APRN-BC(Adult NP) but am coming in as 66H I have 13 years nursing experience, MSN, so I was selected as CPT but it looks like most timelines are ~ 1 yr.

March 09, met with and talked to the recruiter

May 09, went for tour and physical at BAMC, passed physical, all paperwork completed

June 09, packet went to boards, found out about 2 wks later I was selected

June 22, 2009, swearing in into IRR, signed contract, loan pay,bonus paperwork

August 09, received a phone call from the LTC with my 1st assignment, discussed a few things, selected my 2nd choice, requested to go to OBLC in March 2010 and was told "ok"

January 20, 2009, received active duty orders for oblc March 29-June 01, and report to PCS on June 15.

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Specializes in Med/Surg;Hm Health;House Super; ER.
I did my physical at Ft. Sam with the AMEDD tour. You should see if you can get it done there, apparently the process is easier and more "lenient" from what I could see. Good luck!

Thanks! My recruiter emailed this morning & is going to see if a doctor from another dept (Fort Bliss or the El Paso MEPS...I'm not sure) will be willing to take me for a physical instead & refute the other one. I'm having all my friends & family pray for me that if it's God's will, it will happen. It's just frustrating that it was just about a done deal with everything else complete, & then the new Dr changes everything for me by trying to disqualify me when the other had already approved & passed me my last MEPS! I know I keep repeating myself...but geez I'm more than perplexed how the 2 Drs can contradict eachother & then my years of effort are threatened to be null & void by one person. Thanks for listening to me whine ;-P.

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Thank you so much for the quick response best wishes to you.

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Specializes in critical care: trauma/oncology/burns.
Athena, how long have you been AD? I'm wondering what your rank is and what kind of nursing you do. And are you in the same position during your deployment?

Hi. I have been AD since FEB 2008.

My rank is CPT

I am a 66H8A (critical care nurse)

And yes, I am still working in a combined ICU while deployed. We see everything from pediatrics to older of the old; from civilians caught by IEDs, car bombs, IDF (in direct fire), mortar rounds, home explosions, GSW, to our SM caught in the same. Most of the injuries are related to bomb blasts (car, IED, suicide etc) with the assorted fractures, horrific burns, traumatic amputations. I am also lucky enough to incorporate flight nursing in amongst my other duties at the CSH (combat support hospital) here in Iraq.

athena

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Specializes in critical care: trauma/oncology/burns.
Thanks! My recruiter emailed this morning & is going to see if a doctor from another dept (Fort Bliss or the El Paso MEPS...I'm not sure) will be willing to take me for a physical instead & refute the other one.

Are you currently living in El Paso? My duty station is Fort Bliss/William Beaumont!!!!

athena

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Specializes in critical care: trauma/oncology/burns.
How old was your physical. Did you have a recent 5 year physical since you stated that you did not have to go thru MEPS. For my physical I went to Ft. Sam not MEPS.

Hi jeckrn:

My physical was 2005 and I submitted my AD application in 2008 so yeah within that time frame of 5 years.

athena

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Specializes in critical care: trauma/oncology/burns.
Did that include having to get references from people all over again?

OF COURSE, NOW it might not even matter. As since my last MEPS had expired (in October) after I had PASSED it & had been approved with the exact same past medical paperwork in their hands at that time as they do now (nothing new has been added since then)...the NEW Doctor told my recruiter yesterday that he wasn't even going to bother seeing me for my second MEPS & that I was disqualified on the spot. Grrrrr.... So I'm going to pursue it by getting new tests & seeing what they say to hand over for reevaluation.

Care&Joy:

Yes, I had to get references from people all over again. I was working as a civilian in the VA and I didn't want my HN at that time to know what my plan was, as I had just switched over to the ICU (from the step down/telly unit) so I ended up being in the ICU for about 9 months before I PCS-ed to Fort Bliss. She was initially angry at me (she was also prior service, AD for 20) but in the end she understood and we remain in good standing with each other.

If this is your goal and dream, go as far as you can! I am glad you are being proactive! I will keep you in my thoughts as you go through this process.

athena

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Specializes in Med/Surg;Hm Health;House Super; ER.
Are you currently living in El Paso? My duty station is Fort Bliss/William Beaumont!!!!

athena

I'm about 3 hours out by Silver City right now :).

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Specializes in Med/Surg;Hm Health;House Super; ER.
Care&Joy:

Yes, I had to get references from people all over again. I was working as a civilian in the VA and I didn't want my HN at that time to know what my plan was, as I had just switched over to the ICU (from the step down/telly unit) so I ended up being in the ICU for about 9 months before I PCS-ed to Fort Bliss. She was initially angry at me (she was also prior service, AD for 20) but in the end she understood and we remain in good standing with each other.

If this is your goal and dream, go as far as you can! I am glad you are being proactive! I will keep you in my thoughts as you go through this process.

athena

Hey 'Athena' :)! Long time no chat, ha! I haven't been on Allnurses since February! They finalllllly allowed me to update my old physical at Fort Bliss (after the whole ABQ ordeal, grrrr) & I passed this one too. My packet is being submitted to the boards on Tuesday {{Gulp}}. Pray for me! ;)

I updated my current director/manager a few weeks ago. She is wonderful & says she totally supports me. I was a little nervous talking to her --because I've only been there for FIVE months & didn't want her thinking I was using them or hiding anything, because I wasn't --> I was just trying to figure out what the heck I was doing too, Ha ha.).

How are you? Are you still at F.B? If I had remembered you were there before I would've tried meeting you :).

Care&Joy

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