Can you please share your experiences as a military nurse?

Editorial Team / Admin · Apr 6, 2015

AN has a forum dedicated to government and military nursing. You may be able to find the stories you are requesting already posted there, including from some posters who no longer visit the site but have given good info.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Apr 9, 2015

I'm seriously considering joining the military as a nurse. Before I contact a recruiter can you please share with me your experiences/opinions of military nursing? Which branch of the military would you recommend? The good, the bad, the ugly? Look forward to your responses. Thank you.

Any branch of service will require you to have a BSN before you commission. Are you working toward that now?

jeckrn, BSN, RN · Apr 10, 2015

No matter which of the 3 services you like you need to speak with healthcare recruiters to see which one is the right fit for you. They all have their pros & cons just like working in a civilian hospital.

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Apr 12, 2015

https://allnurses.com/government-military-nursing/a-day-in-754221.html

jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA · Apr 12, 2015

So, I actually recommend finding active duty nurses and talking to them one-on-one. The vast majority of healthcare recruiters aren't nurses (at least in the AF); they're enlisted guys who graduated-up from enlisted recruiting. All of their knowledge of the nurse corps is second-hand. Plus, it's not like they're always going to give you an honest assessment; there's sort of an inherent conflict of interest with them.

My opinion of my job overall is positive. However, it depends on what's important to you. Stateside bedside nursing sort-of blows in terms of acuity; your patients aren't really sick unless you're at a few select bases. You have to like additional duties, such as running infection control or training programs for your unit. The pay outpaces civilian pay in the long-run; the benefits can't be beaten.