Day in the life of an Army Nurse Corps Officer

Editorial Team / Moderator · Jun 20, 2012

1. what specialty do you work in?

er.

2. who do you work with? i.e. other nurses, medics, techs etc...

i generally work with civilian nurses (including a few lpns), army nurses, medics, and msas (ward clerks).

3. how many patients do you typically have?

usually 4, depends on the day.

4. as a 2nd lt. do your have a team of medics/lpns that work for you? like a squad?

we do room assignments for our medics as part of the patient caring touch/care teams model, but we don't always stick to it. i wouldn't really call it a squad, though. it's rather civilian-ish in practice.

5. how many days a week do you work and for how long? what the day/night cycle like?

i work 12s. right now we're all on mandatory overtime, but guess who doesn't get paid overtime? that's right -- this green-suiter! lol. but it's okay. each unit will be different as far as whether or not you rotate days and nights. right now i'm on nights for a while, but will probably transition back to days in the fall.

6. what is your greatest challenge as an army nurse?

wearing my acus to work in an er. i love my uniform, but i miss my scrubs! it's hot. lol

7. what is your greatest reward?

caring for soldiers and family members.

8. what additional duties do you have outside of nursing?

sexual assault nurse examiner, also an assistant head nurse role for our fast track.

9. how often is pt each week? do you do it with you unit or on your own?

we do pt on our own -- it's difficult to manage with shiftwork.

10. what makes a good nurse corps officer?

leadership skills, staying calm under pressure, and remembering that respect is a two-way street. :)

Rebma7 · Nov 11, 2012

Do you work 12 hour shifts every day?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Nov 12, 2012

Most days that I'm scheduled, yes. It used to be that I'd work six 12s and an 8 for a total of 80 hours in a two-week period, but we're still on mandatory overtime right now, so it's still seven 12s for a total of 84 hours. That is not including random training, meetings for collateral duties, etc.

nursespouse · Nov 12, 2012

Most days that I'm scheduled, yes. It used to be that I'd work six 12s and an 8 for a total of 80 hours in a two-week period, but we're still on mandatory overtime right now, so it's still seven 12s for a total of 84 hours. That is not including random training, meetings for collateral duties, etc.

Whoa, you are talking two weeks here right not that many days in 1 week.

AjaxAndronicus · Nov 12, 2012

7x12....That's not too bad....right now in critical care float pool I'm working 4x10 plus 2 weekend night calls per 2 week pay cycle. So you can be hit up for 104 hours in a 14 day cycle. Pulled 100 he's two weeks ago, will pull 86 this week, plus manditory cme and skills fair.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Nov 12, 2012

Whoa, you are talking two weeks here right not that many days in 1 week.

Yes, as I said ... in a two-week period.

nursespouse · Nov 12, 2012

Whew, lol. I dont think that will be tough for the wife, she has been working those types of weekly shifts for sometime. She used to do around 5 days a week lol. We are so anxious to figure out if she made it. So So SO SO SO SO anxious lol.

leekun2010 · Nov 12, 2012

Whew, lol. I dont think that will be tough for the wife, she has been working those types of weekly shifts for sometime. She used to do around 5 days a week lol. We are so anxious to figure out if she made it. So So SO SO SO SO anxious lol.

I hope she makes it :)

nursespouse · Nov 12, 2012

thanks leekun, How has your time progressed with the reserves was it? Has everything settled down, and seem a little more familiar?