Army - requesting ways to separate yourself from the competition

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Hey all,

I've been an RN for a little over a year, just graduated CNTP and started working on my floor a few months ago. I can already tell I love Army Nursing and want to advance my career in the future (probably via LTHET). All my coworkers on my floor are high speed, making a difference on the floor in their respective extra duties and committees. I guess I am having trouble finding things that I can do for the floor that will help the unit (and look good as a bullet on my OER.) I work on the Mother-Baby unit (not by choice, but by the Army's needs). I understand going to schools like EFMB, Airborne, Air-Assault look good but there are a few coworkers that also want to go and have been on the unit longer so they have priority over me, which is fine!

Any one have any ideas on extra things I can do for the unit that will separate me from the competition, and show I am a top 10% nurse?

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

If you are not using TA to work toward an MSN, that would be a great thing to do. Advanced degrees early in your career will set you apart. Also volunteer for organizational committees - holiday ball, nurses week activities, skills fair. Is there room on the unit practice council for you? Are you doing in-services for coworkers and peers? Does your hospital have a SANE program that needs support? Is there a process you would like to improve? Does your unit have process improvement projects in which you could participate? PI projects are often done by physicians in our ED, and they can usually use assistance. Anything that could be a bullet point.

Definitely try for schools, and be a leader with PT scores.

Congrats on completing CNTP! :)

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Thanks very much! Those are all great ideas. I don't think I'm eligible to use TA for a little bit, and I heard stories that if you get an advanced degree like FNP on your own, that the Army may not recognize it because it wasn't through one of their programs and you may just be working a 66H job with an advanced degree.

I am doing inservices but they are the required, and there is no room on the UPC (I already explored that route).

I'm pretty sure there is a SANE program. I may need to look into that further. I have no idea about process improvement projects, I don't even know who I would ask about being a part of one. I assumed the UPC did most of that.

Thanks again!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
I heard stories that if you get an advanced degree like FNP on your own, that the Army may not recognize it because it wasn't through one of their programs and you may just be working a 66H job with an advanced degree.

I should have been more specific about that - I wasn't talking about a clinical MSN (that would be nearly impossible to coordinate with clinicals and military commitments), but something like healthcare management or nursing education. It is not uncommon to be a 66H with an advanced (non-clinical) degree, and you should have one if you want to make MAJ when it's time for your first look for O-4. LTHET is moving to DNP anyway.

I believe you should be eligible for TA after a year of active duty. Might be a good time to start looking for an online MSN program because applications can take a while, as can getting transcripts sent, etc. You could have everything in place to initiate TA when you are eligible. Start when you can - you will thank me later! The Army paid for the vast majority of the MSN (Informatics) that I will hopefully complete in December.

For PI projects, ask some of the physicians or even your facility nurse informaticist or researcher.

Most UPCs have "term limits" in their charters, so there might eventually be a spot.

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