army...

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ok...im a nursing major and plan on going to basics in the summer. i have not taken any actual nursing courses yet. since i plan on being a nurse would i be required to do health care specialist training in ait? and if so how long is training for that field? i still plan on going to school and getting my bachelors though.

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Specializes in A little of this & a little of that.

Are you in ROTC, Reserves or National Guard? ROTC won't require you to choose an MOS, that will wait until you are commissioned (as a nurse). Reserves or National Guard may require you to do Healthcare Specialist. There are several levels (designators) to this MOS, from Combat Lifesaver to Practical Nurse or Paramedic. Combat Lifesaver is a short course, two weeks I think. Talk to whoever your liason officer or recruiter is, they will be able to tell you exactly what will be expected. If you are not currently in ROTC, it is worth applying as there is a LOT more financial aid available. My son is on a full ROTC scholarship which is paying his $40,000 a year tuition, all his fees and books. My husband is an Army National Guard Healthcare Specialist (paramedic) instructor. He teaches the Combat Lifesaver and Combat Medic programs.

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My advice to you would be, if there is anyway possible, to finish your BSN before you join. There is a world of difference between the enlisted ranks and the officer corp. Get your degree and you can go in as an officer (much better life style). Look into ROTC and the scholarships the army offers for nursing students before you enlist. Last time I checked they had a good offer for nursing students.

If you want to be an RN, enlisting before you get that BSN could delay your plan for about 4 years. Its nearly impossible to attend nursing school and stay active duty (unless your guard or reserves?). Good luck.

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neyalynn,

destination's advice is spot on ;)

If you want to be a nurse - enter as a nurse...any other path will greatly reduce the chances of it occurring or slow down the process.

Check out this forum:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f57/

for lots of good info....

The initial thought some have is " i want to join the army so I can do school and eventually become an RN".

The improved thought, IMHO, is with the fine incentives that are out there you get in school and get your BSN (or be in senior year) and if you want to join the Army then join and have your loan payed off and both objectives are completed.

You should stay aware of the current incentives......but i strongly recommend the BSN first ;)

Check out the military forum for more info ;)

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Specializes in A little of this & a little of that.

One more thing- if you are doing Guard or Reserves to get money for school, you will be deployed before you finish school. This is disastrous for nursing students. You cannot just come back and start where you left off as some other students may be able to.

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my recruiter told me that i would be able to do the smp program so that i would be able to go to school, get in rotc, and do reserve one weekend a month while pursuing my nursing degree. the purpose of me getting in now is so i wont have to keep taking out loans for school and i will have money every month. i looked into some MOS's and im still looking. im considering patient admin specialist or medical logistic specialist since they are the shortest and i will probably be done with ait by the time school starts in the fall. is there a chance that i cant get the smp program? and i looked up information on the smp program and you cant be deployed while in this program.

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Just remember the recruiters job is to get you to sign the contract. Most recruiters today are honest but the -accidental- omission is still common. If you go this route make sure the non-deployable thing is in your contract. I can understand needing the cash but the smp program also comes with an 8 year obligation.

I would still try to do nursing school on my own without being obligated to the army.... they will always need nurses even a few years from now.

check out this website for more info on what you can get by earning your BSN first.

http://www.goarmy.com/amedd/nurse/corps_benefits.jsp

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thanks for the advice...but basically everything my recruiter has been telling me is true. i know for a fact because my dad is colonel in the army and he knows about that stuff. im probably going to do the ecs program instead because the smp requires u to have 60 credit hours already and ill only have 54. i dont have a problem with the commitment. it seems i would be better off serving the army than civilian for pay and benefits...i think i would like being an army nurse better. i plan on doing the ob/gyn classes in the reserves later on.

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Specializes in A little of this & a little of that.

You won't be required to do any particular MOS because of being a nursing student.There are many that you can explore. Health Care Specialist track would benefit you as a nurse.

You really should also explore ROTC scholarships. It is an excellent program, geared for those who will become officers. My son is very happy doing it. He won't do officers basic until the summer before senior year. He will not have to go to AIT or pick an MOS. His weekends are with other ROTC cadets and geared towards leadership in addition to basic skills. His college is 100% paid, including all fees and books and he gets a monthly stipend. He will have no loans to repay. It is an excellent program for young people who don't mind serving after graduation. It is accepted at colleges in every state.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, ER, Peds ER-CPEN.

It may be one way to pay for school BUT even as an entry level Lt the pay isn't spectacular, infact the current base pay before deductions is less than my take home pay for a 7shift check, think carefully before you sign part of your life away, btdt got the t-shirt, literally

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One more thing- if you are doing Guard or Reserves to get money for school, you will be deployed before you finish school. This is disastrous for nursing students. You cannot just come back and start where you left off as some other students may be able to.

That statement is completely false.

The army will not deploy you while you are in school - they actually have no real use for you as an 'untrained student nurse' and welcome the development of you becoming a licensed RN....

I've served in the military for several years and can help provide clarification rather then uninformed misinformation.

v/r

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it seems i would be better off serving the army than civilian for pay and benefits...i think i would like being an army nurse better. i plan on doing the ob/gyn classes in the reserves later on.

The pay and benefits for 1 weekend a month is not that great... also wouldn't you still work as a civilian nurse between drill weekends? This is one reason the 8 year commitment could come back and bite you. If you decide after school that you would like to be active duty it is difficult to get released from your reserve contract.

I dont know much about the ecs program. I do know some units do not participate in it.

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