Deploying as a military RN

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I have been an ICU RN for 6 years. I recently have been thinking about joining the military as a RN. My question is how likely are my chances to deploy to a combat zone? I know that's part of the deal, but I am a single parent and I worry about my child. I do have a family plan in place, but I'm hoping for assignments I can keep him with me. How realistic is this?

.. in a non-nursing branch I arrived to my unit fresh out of officer basic course and my follow on courses.. got issued my gear and deployed to meet my unit that had left 2 weeks prior to my arrival... upon arrival was introduced to 'normal ops', first time with this type of unit / equipment, and then led in combat.. so I wouldn't make that assumption that you can't deploy w/o experience, as you'll learn.

v/r

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You're pretty much "deployable" right away, but it's not likely they're going to take a brand new nurse and set you free in the sandbox right out of NTP. When it comes to deployment, anything can happen! Once you get to your base, you'll be placed in a deployment band. Basically, you'll have a 6 month period where you could be called to go at any time. Then you have an 18 month "break" when you're supposed to be home. I was placed in a band that's set to go Jan 2012ish. My UTC manager wanted me to get my feet wet in the Air Force and in the ICU. If some natural disaster happened and we were tasked to do humanitarian aid, it's possible to have to go outside of your deployment band. You just never know!! Hope that helps.

I think we had this convo - I'll see you in the sandbox....I'm a fellow C1 or whatever it is we are for Jan 2012.

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Specializes in Med/Onc, Med/Surg, Stepdown, ICU.

Yeah, so is WTB! It's gonna be an allnurses reunion!! :)

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Yeah, so is WTB! It's gonna be an allnurses reunion!! :)

I am going to hide out in the OR where hopefully the AC works all the time. I don't think I am going to adjust well to the desert after being in AK for a couple of years. I already think it is warm when it gets to be high 50's......:lol2:

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Specializes in Med/Onc, Med/Surg, Stepdown, ICU.

Wtb, you might be screwed!! I hear it's "cool" when it gets below 100 in the sandbox!! :smokin:

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I am going to hide out in the OR where hopefully the AC works all the time. I don't think I am going to adjust well to the desert after being in AK for a couple of years. I already think it is warm when it gets to be high 50's......:lol2:

We'll be happy if you hang out in the OR - whenever I was deployed it was (literally - no joke) always the Alaska team that would bring something over and make half the base sick. No kidding. At least in the OR we know you're scrubbed up and wearing a mask.

:lol2::D:smokin:

(C'mon wtb, you know I love you....)

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
We'll be happy if you hang out in the OR - whenever I was deployed it was (literally - no joke) always the Alaska team that would bring something over and make half the base sick. No kidding. At least in the OR we know you're scrubbed up and wearing a mask.

:lol2::D:smokin:

(C'mon wtb, you know I love you....)

They were just trying to toughin you up.......:D

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Specializes in CVICU, Army Nurse Corps.

what do nurses wear when deployed?? scrubs? acu's?? also, what are deployment living conditions of a nurse??

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Living conditions are the same for everyone - usually in huge tents (I don't know if Balad in Iraq has "hardened" facilities now or not; I know the hospital is but I don't know about dorms) with about eight other women or men (tents are not coed). We prettied our tent up with sheets for walls, and we had cots with regular mattresses on top of them. You have a semi-real floor (a wooden floor built up on a platform) and really, it's not bad. I was in a tent for two tours during Desert Storm and it's not horrid. (By my third tour Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi had regular dorms - and that actually sucked. Tent City never, ever sleeps - someone was always up doing something, and in the dorms, everyone stayed inside. Pretty boring deployment, really.)

We had shower tents and potty tents, and also bathrooms in trailers we called "Cadillacs" where the water was potable; that's where you brushed your teeth and washed your face (I never let un-potable water touch my face; that's just me).

The tents were heated and air-conditioned.

As far as I know, it's pretty much the same now. I think if you forward deploy with the Army it may be a bit different (read: a little rougher).

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