Best Navy Hospital for Critical Care

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Hi,

My name is Jonathan and I'm an RN,BSN in the neurotrauma ICU at a level 1 trauma center in Houston. I love the excitement of taking care of such high acuity patients, and would like to do so while serving my country. As such, I'm applying for the Navy Nurse Corps. I will be testing for my CCRN certification once I am eligible in October. If I can, I'd like to go straight into the ICU in the Nurse Corps.

My recruiter is very helpful, but I know you have to take what they tell you with a grain of salt.

She said that once you have your CCRN cert, when your application is accepted, you're guaranteed an ICU position. This almost sounds too good to be true. I've heard/read countless times that ultimately, you go where you're needed the most, whether it be ICU, med-surg, or L&D (no thank you!). Does anybody know if her statement is accurate?

Also, when the time comes to make my dream sheet, I plan on listing the big 3 in order of the highest acuity/me having the best chance of getting directly into the ICU. She said San Diego was by far the best choice, followed by Bethesda, and then Portsmouth. Anyone agree/disagree?

Thank you in advance for your help, and I look forward to reading your responses.

Jonathan

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Specializes in Psych, Maternity, ER, Ortho.

With your CCRN, you're guaranteed the critical care subspecialty code that defines you as a critical care nurse... But you are not 100% guaranteed an ICU position in the Navy. Yes, it would be silly for the hospital to take someone with their CCRN and stick them somewhere else, but it could happen. Just being honest.

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Specializes in Critical Care Emergency Military Nursing.

JP307:

A recruiter can guarantee NOTHING! I was guaranteed so much, and I have been so disappointed over the years. I know many people that have their CCRN and have not been admitted to the ICU. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Also if you're looking to continue to take care of level 1 trauma patients then the Navy is probabaly not the best place. Most of the pt's we see are retirees/dependent family members. Rarely, if not ever, do we ever get a real trauma.

Think about it this way, when there is a trauma in the U.S. where does it happen? Not typically on a military base. It's out in town somewhere. Then who gets called, 911. 911 responds as usual and EMS/Paramedics respond and take you to the local level 1 trauma center, not the Navy base. If your looking for adrenaline packed trauma and excitement then you won't find it in the Navy. You may find it eventually IF you deploy, but thats the only time. Sorry but this is really how it is 99% of the time.

Also, regarding the big 3. They can suck the life out of you with all the politics and BS. Many of my friends have been much happier at other midsized commands. And yes, you can request such places. Just don't put a big 3 on your list otherwise that's what you'll get.

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Thank you both for your help!

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Hey Everyone,

I read this post and couldn't believe how Jonathan's wish list was exactly mine. I also currently work in a TICU and plan on getting my CCRN. I want to join the military for many reasons, but I still would want to work with trauma/ neuro patients. With that being said, is their one branch of the military that you would have better chances with achieving this?

Thanks in advance for your help!

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JP307:

A recruiter can guarantee NOTHING! I was guaranteed so much, and I have been so disappointed over the years. I know many people that have their CCRN and have not been admitted to the ICU. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Also if you're looking to continue to take care of level 1 trauma patients then the Navy is probabaly not the best place. Most of the pt's we see are retirees/dependent family members. Rarely, if not ever, do we ever get a real trauma.

Think about it this way, when there is a trauma in the U.S. where does it happen? Not typically on a military base. It's out in town somewhere. Then who gets called, 911. 911 responds as usual and EMS/Paramedics respond and take you to the local level 1 trauma center, not the Navy base. If your looking for adrenaline packed trauma and excitement then you won't find it in the Navy. You may find it eventually IF you deploy, but thats the only time. Sorry but this is really how it is 99% of the time.

Also, regarding the big 3. They can suck the life out of you with all the politics and BS. Many of my friends have been much happier at other midsized commands. And yes, you can request such places. Just don't put a big 3 on your list otherwise that's what you'll get.

Civilian traumas, by law, go to the nearest appropriate level trauma center OR the center with the most appropriate care (ie, burns or whatnot). WHMC, when it existed, was a Level 1 and the only Level 1 on this side of San Antonio. They used to get civvy traumas all the time - gunshot wounds, stabbings, car wrecks, all sorts of stuff. Our ED staff was NEVER bored and it was 'Knife and Gun Club' on Friday and Saturday nights like any hospital - especially on the side of SA we were on.

SAMMC is also a Level 1. There are MANY, MANY civilian patients on the trauma units and even in the burn unit. It's governed by Federal law. The other night the ED received SEVEN TRAUMAS, all via flight (we started counting the number of times we heard the chopper land and take off and matching it with the number of times we heard 'trauma team to the trauma room' over the PA). They weren't military. Also a Knife and Gun Club on certain nights - and it sits right off a major interstate, so it gets all sorts of nasty, nasty car wrecks.

I believe the only way a hospital of that size can refuse a trauma is if the entire center is at a certain level of capacity and therefore on divert - and I have worked at a Level 1 tertiary care nationally-ranked medical center when that happened - many, many times. I also remember it happening at Wilford Hall a couple of times.

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Hey Everyone,

I read this post and couldn't believe how Jonathan's wish list was exactly mine. I also currently work in a TICU and plan on getting my CCRN. I want to join the military for many reasons, but I still would want to work with trauma/ neuro patients. With that being said, is their one branch of the military that you would have better chances with achieving this?

Thanks in advance for your help!

My guess would be Army or USAF, based solely on where the hospitals are. Especially since San Antonio, since the close of WHMC as an inpatient facility, now has only TWO Level 1 trauma centers, and only one of them is civilian! (We used to have three - and two were military.) The Army also staffs Tripler in Hawaii - a huge Level 1 center, and I bet they get quite a few civilian traumas there, since there's only one other Level 1 on Oahu, and I think the only other Level 1 is on the big island of Hawaii.

San Diego has other large hospitals, Norfolk/Hampton Roads has a couple Level 1's, Greater DC has several - that's where the big Naval medical centers are. I bet they see fewer civilian traumas as a result. Pensacola has a huge hospital there, so they may see a few now and again, since I don't think there are many big trauma centers in that area (but I don't know Pensacola's rating, either; big hospital doesn't necessarily mean Level 1).

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Pensacola is not a huge hospital accepts few trauma. Nothing serious.

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

Bethesda has some really sick patients. All the CCAT patients who come through Germany end up there, at least at first.

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We get many as well. My last deployment was at the CASF at WHMC. Saw quite a few CCATTs come through here.

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Pensacola is not a huge hospital accepts few trauma. Nothing serious.

It looks big from the highway. :) Good information.

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Wanted to correct myself on a point - I don't think TAMC is a Level 1 anymore; I read on SAMMC's website just a couple of days ago that SAMMC is the only Level 1 in MEDCOM, so I'm assuming that's Army wide. Lunah can probably help me out on the lingo. :)

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