Calling all Navy Nurses!

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I'm a new grad nurse working in an outpatient oncology clinic and I've been working with a navy recruiter for the past year. I finish my BSN this May so I will hopefully be finishing my application to the navy within the next couple of months. Can any past or present navy nurses share their experiences with it? Pros and cons? And exactly how hard is it to get in? I hear that it is difficult all the time but how hard it is exactly?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Moved to the Government/Military forum

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I don't think any of us who are currently in can really comment on how competitive it is because it changes from year to year. I joined trough the NCP and graduated in May 2014. I was told that my recruiting district had 27 applicants for my program, and 3 of us were accepted.....so I would say it's pretty d*mn competitive if it's anything like it was two years ago.

Pros:

Amazing & diverse people/coworkers

Camaraderie (with some, you end up becoming family)

Amazing patients

Fewer worries about insurance/your pts paying for their care vs civilian side

Opportunity to branch out from your comfort zone

Having the chance to be in the military and serve our sailors/soldiers/airmen, veterans, and their families

Assistance with grad school (tuition assistance while you're in, GI bill once youre out)

Opportunity to travel

Cons:

Loneliness & being separated from family

Less control over career, living situation, etc than civilian peers

Extra work compared to civilian peers (collateral duties, other military stuff; salaried pay can equal more time on call)

Overall, I am happy with my choice to join. At the very least, it has been a great learning experience so far and I have met some incredible people. Good luck with your application!

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