Becoming a Navy Nurse

[druclair]

Hello Everyone,

I am currently an RN, and I've been working as a nurse for about two years. I currently work in the assisted living setting and I love what I do but I know that I need to make a change. I became a nurse to make a difference and I think that the Navy would help me do that on a more global level. I just have a few questions.

Where do you get assigned? To a base or hospital?

Do navy nurses live on base?

Does the navy provide affordable housing?

Im currently enrolled in a MSN program, would the navy assist with tuition?

How often do opportunities present that allow you to work overseas and aid in disaster relief?

I would really appriciate the feedback. Thank you in advance.

[NomadNavyNurse, ASN, RN]

Hi druclair,

I am currently in the Navy's NCP and I am also prior enlisted, so I can help answer a few of your questions.

Where do you get assigned? To a base or hospital?:

You will be assigned to a hospital that is located on a base. Bases are like miniature cities with amenities similar to the civilian world, including hospitals, offices, housing, parks, and stores.

Do navy nurses live on base?

Navy nurses can live on or off base. The deciding factor is if there's room on base, sometimes there are waiting lists to live on base.

Does the navy provide affordable housing?

The Navy provides on base housing. This is housing that you don't pay for (very affordable!), but it also means you won't receive Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), a monthly allowance meant to help pay for rent/mortgage which can be a sizable sum, depending on where you're stationed. People who choose to live off base receive the BAH that is appropriate to their rank and location.

Im currently enrolled in a MSN program, would the navy assist with tuition?

It depends on if you are in the Navy or not. The Navy provides tuition assistance once you're in the service. If you want the Navy to help you pay for the program BEFORE you get in, you must be accepted into one of the graduate scholarship programs that the Navy offers.

How often do opportunities present that allow you to work overseas and aid in disaster relief?

I'm not sure of this answer, but when I talked to a medical officer who was conducting one of my interviews, he made it seem quite a competitive process to get to deploy on one of the hospital ships for humanitarian relief.