My name is Dustin and I thought it would be a good idea to create a topic for those who are applying for the FY2020 Army Nurse board! A little about me; I am prior service Army enlisted with four years on active duty as a 19D (Cavalry Scout) and four years in the reserve as a 68W (Combat Medic). Recently, in December of last year I graduated with my BSN from a highly reputable school in Texas. In January of this year I started my new job in a Cardiothoracic and Transplant ICU, but in the process of applying to the 66H (Med-Surge Nurse) position with the Army. Per my recruiter, this is essentially the standard for nurses who have less than two years of RN experience and who will attend the Army’s Nurse Residency Program.
I’m hoping that my year of ICU experience and my CCRN certification at the time right before leaving for training will be an advantage to changing over to the Critical Care Nurse AOC (66S) as soon as I can. ? If it wasn’t for my yearning to return to the Army and wear the uniform again, I would just wait until I have over two years of civilian experience and apply to the 66S position. My desire to continue to serve is stronger than my AOC, 200%!
Please, use this to connect with others and share your experience! I look forward in embarking on this journey and hearing from others.
thanks for the responses. I am a CCRN 6 year exp. ICU/ED and have been working with recruiter for a few months now. hes really good. waiting on waiver now. I saw DCC is 18 days or maybe 26, website I found was confusing.
For Reservists and NG, DCC is 3 weeks. For Active Duty, DCC is 4 weeks.
thanks for the responses. I am a CCRN 6 year exp. ICU/ED and have been working with recruiter for a few months now. hes really good. waiting on waiver now. I saw DCC is 18 days or maybe 26, website I found was confusing.
For Reservists and NG, DCC is 3 weeks. For Active Duty, DCC is 4 weeks.
For reservists, do you know if we start DCC right away once we receive our order or if it's done later on after we report to our units? I know that BOLC-B is done within a year of commissioning and is scheduled with your reserve unit commander (or someone above you).
I have been drilling with my unit since 12/18 and am just now getting to go to DCC in September. If no prior service you will attend the 28 day course, with prior service the 21 day course. According to my unit’s training NCO, we are no longer able to schedule BOLC phase 2 until DCC is completed. (My packet was submitted before the board 10/17 & I was selected & notified 11/17. It is a long tiresome, nerve wracking process)
For the individual asking about deployments in FY20, my goal is to be completed with everything in time. (My AOC is a 66S.) If this is your goal as well, I hope the process moves faster for you so it is possible, just don’t get discouraged if you happen to miss it.
I have been drilling with my unit since 12/18 and am just now getting to go to DCC in September. If no prior service you will attend the 28 day course, with prior service the 21 day course. According to my unit’s training NCO, we are no longer able to schedule BOLC phase 2 until DCC is completed. (My packet was submitted before the board 10/17 & I was selected & notified 11/17. It is a long tiresome, nerve wracking process)
For the individual asking about deployments in FY20, my goal is to be completed with everything in time. (My AOC is a 66S.) If this is your goal as well, I hope the process moves faster for you so it is possible, just don’t get discouraged if you happen to miss it.
Good luck to you all!
If I am reading this correctly, it took you 12 months from selection to start drilling?
What do you do on your drill weekends? What's a typical weekend like for you?
If I am reading this correctly, it took you 12 months from selection to start drilling?
What do you do on your drill weekends? What's a typical weekend like for you?
That is correct. It took forever. To be honest drill is not what I expected. Unless you have a task or assigned duty, there’s not much for you to do. And flip side of that is until you go to BOLC you can’t be assigned or volunteer for additional duties. I do a lot of trying to make myself available to help. There are also a lot of DL computer education that needs to be completed so a lot work on that. From talking to others in my unit the type & tone of training usually changes with each new commander. So where one my focus on the paperwork side another my focus more on training so each unit will be different in their approach. I hope this helped answer your question.
Thank you everyone for the responses! My med waiver is being sent up this week. been working on this since june of this year, my recruiter is high speed so im keeping the faith. we havent talked much about which board I would be up for not sure there are any left for 2019. looking to eventually get into a FST or FRST now. anyone know how to make this happen?
Mbabs84, your personal experience with those forward surgical teams can be very variable. I would highly recommend you talk to several people at your first base to get their experiences before volunteering. You can be put in extremely remote areas and basically sit on your hands/bored to tears for months straight.
There is quite a bit of good information here. But, I still have a few questions. This is more for reserve with prior (Air Force) service. I am working towards 66B Public Health Nurse in the Reserves.
So, if I understand correctly, once you get your packet together (which I have been working on for months and just completed), it goes to the board for approval (which I believe will be Oct of this year). I assume I'll have my MEPS physical before hand.
Once it's approved, you "hurry up and wait" up to six months to get scroll. Then you get sworn in. Is this the point where you are officially a 2LT (i.e. start getting uniforms, ID card, etc)?
Then, a unit is found for you (which I believe there is already one available for PHN near me), orders are cut, DCC and BOLC is discussed. When do you start earning points? Do you start drilling ASAP? Time is my enemy as I am 52 but I have prior active and reserve time in the Air Force. I would like to finish 20 by 62.
Mbabs84, your personal experience with those forward surgical teams can be very variable. I would highly recommend you talk to several people at your first base to get their experiences before volunteering. You can be put in extremely remote areas and basically sit on your hands/bored to tears for months straight.
Well my initial entry would be into a CSH Unit near where I live. Which is fine by me. FST or FRST looks awesome and may be something to strive for later on.
Specializes in CCRN certified/ Cardiac/Critical care.
My packet is finally going to the board next month!! I needed 2 waivers for MEPS that took 13 months for approval. I’m applying for 66S Reserves and am really nervous. Good luck to everyone!!
Specializes in CCRN certified/ Cardiac/Critical care.
On 8/28/2019 at 2:04 AM, Noypi47 said:
Anyone turned in their package for the October 2019 boards? I'm applying for the Mental Health position, wondering if there's anyone in the same boat ?
msnapper
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For Reservists and NG, DCC is 3 weeks. For Active Duty, DCC is 4 weeks.