Navy, BS/ADN?

LZ-

I sense a bit of frustration, maybe? I here what your saying, but rules are what they are. You made it to SSGT, you know what we say isn't going to make a difference. If you want a commission with your ADN go Army Reserve, they'll take you in a heartbeat. However, I do have this to say, it's not the degree that makes the nurse, it's what the nurse does that makes the nurse. I don't care if you're ADN, BSN, MSN, Diploma or what, the letters after your name don't mean squat if you can't get the job done. I know what the Navy's official policy is on this, my wife was ADN had to get her BSN before she could come active, I don't necessarily agree, but again, it is what it is.

LCDR Dan

LZ-

I hear you, "22 years of wisdom" and salty, that's too funny. Anyway, as usual the Navy is behind the regular world. I agree if you have a 4-year degree in something else and have your ADN that should meet the "leadership" requirement or whatever. The thing that they don't realize is that nurses are making all kinds of money on the outside. My wife works at a local hospital in addition to her Navy job for play money and she is getting $44/hr and this is small town WV. The shortage of nurses is getting worse and due to peak by 2010. My Dad is in hospital management and wn=ent to a seminar recently about the shortage and there was as study presented stating nurses will be making 6 digits in the next 5-10 years because without nurses healthcare shuts down. How is the Navy going to compete with that? This past year I had met the admiral of the nurse corps and she said we were 300 nurses short, I'm pretty sure it's worse than that. My wife's unit in Bethesda is short 20 nurses as it is. The Navy is going to have to do something sooner or later, "staying the course" is just not going to work.

LCDR Dan

LZRN, if you want to become an officer and the Navy requires more education then you already have try the ARMY Reserves. You can be an Officer with the reaerves with a ADN.

TraumaRUs-

I hear what you are saying aboutbeing "too old." Consider this though, even if the Navy took you and gave you time for your experience, mind you not much regardless, you have another factor to consider. In the military, as you may remember, you have a 2-fold purpose. One as a nurse, one as an officer, they can give you credit for the nursing part, but not for the officer part. Therefore, in some cases, you would be junior to people far younger than yourself and with less nursing experience, would you be willing to listen to somone like that giving you orders? It would create a lot of problems, that is why they have set the bar at 44. In most cases, this helps eliminate problems. Take a situation we had at my last command. there was a woman who got a waiver and came in at age 44. They gave her the rank of LT for her years of nursing experience (8) and age (personal experience, didn't understand this one), something that people earn after 4-6 years in the service. Therefore, there was plenty expected of her both as a nurse and an officer, neither of which she could live up to. Needless to say, she was set up to fail from the beginning and when I left the duty station they were beginning the process to put her out of the Navy after only 3 years. I'm not saying you wouldn't do well, but even if they gave you the rank of LT for your experience, I am 33 and have 10 years nursing experience would outrank you because of my time already in, would you want to take orders or work for someone that had less years experience or was younger? Could be a bad deal, maybe not, but that is why they have the limits. Forget the physical stuff, I know some people that are older than me and still run better than my 10min. 15sec. run for the 1.5 mile, so physically I know you could do it.

LCDR Dan

I like your response, however, I would like for you to remember to ask yourself that question in 10 years. If you are facing unemployment or living on the streets, working under someone younger or less experienced takes a back seat.

My point is that there is age discrimination out there, and if you haven't yet experienced it, you will. Also, that people doing hiring need to let the candidates themselves decide what they can live with, e.g. being supervised by younger people, taking less pay etc. Not knowing the circumstances and not hiring people based on what you think they can or cannot deal with leads in my opionin to chronic unemployment and homelessness.