In the Navy?

nurseleigh · Jul 31, 2001

As far as paying for college and so forth, recruiters are usually up on all of that. My words of advise for you are dont believe everything the recruiters tell you. They are sometimes misinformed or just dont care enough to get the numbers. Keep in mind that their job is to get a certain number of people signed up a month. It is just like any other job with quotas and such.

Don't take this to mean they are all bad or that you can't trust them. Just be sure you are making a well informed decision.

Also, all branches of the military have nurses and GI Bills that pay for school, not just the Navy.

It can be the most rewarding career choice of your life. The military has alot to offer. You can see the world and get your education. Personally, i would love to join the Air force in nursing, but alas, I have a husband and two kids and it just wouldn't be a smart choice for me.

Good luck.

TeresaRN2b · Aug 4, 2001

Yes, I believe that to be true, but are you sure that is a commitment you want to make. I am not sure exactly how it works because I didn't serve as an officer myself. I am pretty sure that you have to have a BSN in nursing though. Military life is tough. Just serving in the military itself will get you a GI Bill. Of course you'd have to serve your enlistment first that way. I think you would be wise to think long and hard on this, but if you're interested call a recruiter. They will tell you what you need to know, but also be forwarned that there are plenty out there that will paint a very rosy picture and be completely misleading. Believe me I learned that from experience.

Teresa

jessjoy · Aug 5, 2001

HI! :) You could always try the Reserve or the Guard. It's part-time, one weekend a month and two weeks during the summer. They pay for 75% of tuition I believe. I was active duty Air Force for 4 years and loved it. I did get MAJORLY screwed by my recruiter though. He lied to me and I ended up in Armament (bomb loading) instead of what I wanted. Make sure that you tell him/her you will only sign up if you get a guaranteed job. They will tell you thats not possible, but they are lying. They just want to fill the slots for the less wanted jobs. Just thought I'd give ya a tip! :) Good luck, the military is a great experience!

fourbirds4me · Aug 9, 2001

I have heard from several people that the Navy in particular is offering special programs for nurses right now. They are waving some of the normal requirements etc... A girl I was in physiology with said her mom just joined and she was over 40!

I've been thinking of checking it out myself. Whatever you find out let us know :)

Lisa32 · Aug 9, 2001

Fourbirds, I did go to "Navy.com" and request info and someone from the local recruiting office DID call me and offer to meet with me to give me info but I called him back (he left a msg) to set something up and he never returned my call. Weird, huh? I'm going to keep trying once I get thru Micro. That's kind of taking up my time right now.

JJFROG · Aug 12, 2001

I was in the Army Nurse Corps for 4 years and enjoyed most of all that I did. You do have to have a BSN. You do have many educational opprotunities, but you may not have much of a say in when you get to pursue them. You are on the government timecard so you will receive the education when they need you to have it! Depending on where you are at in your schedule you may be able to obtain an ROTC scholarship.

One of the pros of being in the military is all of the leadership experience that you receive. You will be the Charge nurse within 2-3 months of starting. One of the cons is if you have your heart set on working in a specific area such as Oncology, you may get there eventually but you will go where they need you in the meantime. Also if you want to live in a certain area or settle into one spot you, the military will not be for you. You will be limited to the Navy Bases with hospitals, ( not all bases have hospitals). Email me if you have more questions. The military is a great place to start your career, definately check it out!

Lisa32 · Aug 12, 2001

National Guard then? Anyone?

prmenrs, RN · Aug 13, 2001

I think the Navy wants a BSN--nurses are officers, and most officers are college grads. You may be able to be a warant officer or something like that as an ADN. Try to talk to a nursing specialist recruiter if they have something like that.