Enlisted reserves to direct commission, or wait until I graduate

[Futuremilitarynurse88]

Hi all,

I would really appreciate your input! I spoke with an Army enlistment recruiter today about getting into the Army Nurse Corps. I am in my senior year of my ADN program, and have taken enough courses to get my BSN done in a year online (so I would qualify for the nurse corps in 2020). My recruiter told me that I could sign my contract now, and wait until I graduate with my ADN in May to go to Basic. He said that I could spend the next year in the reserves, in an enlisted MOS related to the health field, while working on my BSN. I could then apply for OCS after graduating with my BSN, and get a job in critical care - which is where I would like to be. Is this BS? I've always wanted to be in the military, and I don't mind being in reserves for a year if it's going to help me get into the nurse corps. I know that deployment is a possibility, which I'm okay with. I would appreciate it if you could shed some light on the reality of his offer, and if it's a good idea to help me get where I would like to be.

Thank-you for your help!

[jj_merc]

Get your BSN first then join...If you enlist now you will have to go to basic training for 10 weeks and then go to MOS school which could be 6 to 12 months depending on what MOS you get. In the time that you went through basic training and MOS school, you could of finished getting your BSN. And no you cannot pursue your BSN while in basic training and MOS school.

[CPMSD]

Ask your recruiter if he can guarantee in your contract that you will get OCS and a critical care RN spot. He won't because it's BS and he has no clue if you'll be able to do that.

Like jj said, the time you would spend doing basic + AIT would be time better spent working as an RN, getting your BSN, and making yourself a competitive applicant.

[APmedics]

If you want to be a nurse in the military you should not be talking to a recruiter about enlisting. You're looking to commission. Many recruiters attempt to sway unknowing individuals into contracts under false pretenses and then at the end of the day you never get the job you want. You can apply for OCS as your recruiter stated, but there is no guarantee you will get it given that you are applying for only one branch (Nurse Corps). In addition the Nurse Corps does not train you directly into critical care, you will need to bring that experience in from the outside to be classified as such. The only way they would provide you that training was if you served on active duty, but then you are generally in Med Surge starting out.

Find an Army Medical Corps recruiter, they will be able to tell you all about the programs you're eligible for. Do not enlist unless you want to serve in an enlisted capacity, the highest of which in the nursing field is as an LPN.

If you want to go into the Army Nurse Corps as an RN your options are:

ROTC

Army Nurse Candidate Program

STRAP - Provides a monthly stipend to ADN RN's who are enrolled in BSN programs. Only applies to reserves.

ROTC and ANCP are both active duty options. Your last option would be to graduate with a BSN and get into a specialty area such as Critical Care, after which you'd attempt to direct commission. This will require at a minimum two years of ICU experience before you can get commissioned though.

Enlisting then going to OCS seeking a nursing billet is the long way. In my opinion you'd be wasting time going to basic training then AIT only to then go to OCS.