Army Nursing

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I am trying to make some big decisions about joining the Army (or possibly the USAF), and am looking to my very helpful all nurses for assistance!! I love this community of nurses and have been helped many times by everyone! Hopefully someone can help me again.

I am a registered nurse with 2 years of experience, 1 year in telemetry and 1 in CCU, my husbands job is flexible and mobile, and I have started thinking about Army nursing. Many of the changes in lifestyle would greatly suit us, we are young, and don't mind traveling, and I am interested in all the education the Army offers nurses.

However, I have always been interested in specialties of nursing. Med/surg is wonderful, but I have always needed something else. I have greatly appreciated working in the CCU, however I am hoping that if I am accepted, after my 1 year of Med/Surg that is required in the Army, I can apply for the OB/GYN 16 week nursing course; any my recruiter says they are very easy to get into. Me being the skeptic, I would like some input. **Has anyone actually tried to apply for the specialties? **If so, what were some of the requirements to be a candidate? ** Does anyone know how many nurses they accept to the programs a year? There are several specialties including OB/GYN, Critical Care, Perioperative, Psych, Public Health, and ER. **Are they very competitive? Or is it really like my recruiter says, where after a year you tell your supervisor you want to apply, and its a done deal? (I have a hard time believing that!) **Also does anyone know how the night shift/ day shift thing works when there's no differential for working then?

I think my only fear of the Army is being stuck in a position I don't want to do for several years, when in the civilian world I could have just applied for an OBGYN internship and got a job doing what I wanted to do. However, putting it in perspective-the service to my country and all the education benefits may outweigh me "getting my way." ANd perhaps I just need to deal with being a med/surg nurse for a couple years.

Anyways, any advice would be greatly appreciated! Every response is so helpful and dear to me, thank you, as always,

RN, BSN

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Specializes in none.
I am trying to make some big decisions about joining the Army (or possibly the USAF), and am looking to my very helpful all nurses for assistance!! I love this community of nurses and have been helped many times by everyone! Hopefully someone can help me again.

I am a registered nurse with 2 years of experience, 1 year in telemetry and 1 in CCU, my husbands job is flexible and mobile, and I have started thinking about Army nursing. Many of the changes in lifestyle would greatly suit us, we are young, and don't mind traveling, and I am interested in all the education the Army offers nurses.

However, I have always been interested in specialties of nursing. Med/surg is wonderful, but I have always needed something else. I have greatly appreciated working in the CCU, however I am hoping that if I am accepted, after my 1 year of Med/Surg that is required in the Army, I can apply for the OB/GYN 16 week nursing course; any my recruiter says they are very easy to get into. Me being the skeptic, I would like some input. **Has anyone actually tried to apply for the specialties? **If so, what were some of the requirements to be a candidate? ** Does anyone know how many nurses they accept to the programs a year? There are several specialties including OB/GYN, Critical Care, Perioperative, Psych, Public Health, and ER. **Are they very competitive? Or is it really like my recruiter says, where after a year you tell your supervisor you want to apply, and its a done deal? (I have a hard time believing that!) **Also does anyone know how the night shift/ day shift thing works when there's no differential for working then?

I think my only fear of the Army is being stuck in a position I don't want to do for several years, when in the civilian world I could have just applied for an OBGYN internship and got a job doing what I wanted to do. However, putting it in perspective-the service to my country and all the education benefits may outweigh me "getting my way." ANd perhaps I just need to deal with being a med/surg nurse for a couple years.

Anyways, any advice would be greatly appreciated! Every response is so helpful and dear to me, thank you, as always,

RN, BSN

If you want to be on the cutting edge of Nursing, ether the army or USAF will offer you the opportunity to practical procedures and work with equipment that you will not see in civilian life fort about five years. If you are intelligent and willing to learn the service will teach you a world full of knowledge. There is only one draw back, you are there's for the entire time of your enlistment. They will put you where ever they need you. It may be in another country or right down the street. There is also a corny reason, you will being serving your country. When you come out you will be a veteran. Back in civilian life you will be able to breeze through assignments because no one will be throwing lead at you.

Consider all of your options first. And don't listen to the recruiter They promised me Alaska I got the great state of LA and gumbo. Go for it

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I was not a nurse in the AF....I was a Satellite Operations Officer. My husband is a Master Gunner in the Army. My daughter is a Combat Medic, one son was Blackhawk Helicopter Mechanic and stepson was an MP.

All I will say on this is something my husband told me..... An E-4 in the AF lives better than an O-3 in the Army. Go USAF!

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Air Force.

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Does anyone know about the other questions I had like going into the specialties? Thank you everyone for all your help and advice!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

One of our longtime members, LunahRN, recently became an Army nurse with a specialty in the emergency department. You can click on her profile below, read some of her posts, and check out her blog that is specifically about her experiences as a nurse in the military.

About LunahRN - Nursing Community for Nurses

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

Getting into any course after 1 year will depend on your command. Some commands will make you wait 2 or 3 years from what I have read from other posters in the past. From personal experience I had no diffuculty getting into a speciality course. I do not know how compative it is to get into the OB course. What is compative this year might not be next year and vs verus.

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Thanks to all for your help! I love you guys!

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