Hospital Corpsman to Navy Nursing

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I am currently a Pre-Nursing student finishing up my pre-reqs to enter the program. But , I decided I wanted to take a break and join the Navy Reserves to become a Hospital Corpsman to assist with school and kind of get me acquired to the field of patient care. Where can I work as a hospital corpsman once I'm done with school? and with the Monthly drills and work will I have time to finish my nursing schooling or should I wait and join once I obtain my nursing degree ?

Thank you so much. I am interested in both jobs , and would lve to do them when ever I can , but my main goal is to be a navy nurse. But I do go ahead and enter the reserves what would you suggest I do ? and you can only tour the Ships uf your a reservist?

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

One thing I need to emphasize is PATIENCE. Too many people have this bold, romantic vision of being aboard an aircraft carrier at sunrise or stopping a hemorrhaging wound on a C-17 at 30,000 feet. Even if you start enlisting today, you probably won't set foot at basic training for nearly a year. By that time, you'll only be a year or two from a BSN. If your goal is to be a nurse, apply for an ROTC scholarship (you only need to do 2 years of ROTC I think to be accepted) and finish school. Enlisting, even in the reserves, will put your school on hold for a while. They won't just magically let you get out of your 8 year reserve contract to become an officer.

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One thing I need to emphasize is PATIENCE. Too many people have this bold, romantic vision of being aboard an aircraft carrier at sunrise or stopping a hemorrhaging wound on a C-17 at 30,000 feet. Even if you start enlisting today, you probably won't set foot at basic training for nearly a year. By that time, you'll only be a year or two from a BSN. If your goal is to be a nurse, apply for an ROTC scholarship (you only need to do 2 years of ROTC I think to be accepted) and finish school. Enlisting, even in the reserves, will put your school on hold for a while. They won't just magically let you get out of your 8 year reserve contract to become an officer.

Thank you also . I think I will just end up waiting or apply for the ROTC scholarship if I can , because I have no experience of ROTC not in high school . I will probably enlist and try to become an officer after graduation.

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

My concern is that even when you graduate, you won't be able to become a nurse right away. Plenty of enlisted people have bachelor's degrees, and having one doesn't instantly make you an officer. In the Air Force, I believe 40% of the enlisted force has one. You have to apply to become an officer and enter your branch's new grad nurse training program, and that's not guaranteed. They are cutting nurses out of the military right now, not hiring. I would hate for you to graduate and be stuck practicing below your abilities.

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My concern is that even when you graduate, you won't be able to become a nurse right away. Plenty of enlisted people have bachelor's degrees, and having one doesn't instantly make you an officer. In the Air Force, I believe 40% of the enlisted force has one. You have to apply to become an officer and enter your branch's new grad nurse training program, and that's not guaranteed. They are cutting nurses out of the military right now, not hiring. I would hate for you to graduate and be stuck practicing below your abilities.

Yea i would hate that ,but I wouldnt mind. Would i be able to have a civilian job as a nurse?

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My concern is that even when you graduate, you won't be able to become a nurse right away. Plenty of enlisted people have bachelor's degrees, and having one doesn't instantly make you an officer. In the Air Force, I believe 40% of the enlisted force has one. You have to apply to become an officer and enter your branch's new grad nurse training program, and that's not guaranteed. They are cutting nurses out of the military right now, not hiring. I would hate for you to graduate and be stuck practicing below your abilities.

Yea i would hate that ,but I wouldnt mind. Would i be able to have a civilian job as a nurse?

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

If you are doing the reserves, than you can probably make it work. Once basic and tech training are done, you only need to do 16 hrs per month plus 2 weeks of extra training per year.

Active duty is incompatible with being a full-time student.

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that's sound like it could work . Thank you .

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

You can go to school and be in the reserves. It can be tough at times, a lot will depend on your unit and how they work with students. Some units will bend over backwards to help and others not so well.

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You can go to school and be in the reserves. It can be tough at times, a lot will depend on your unit and how they work with students. Some units will bend over backwards to help and others not so well.

Would you suggest finishing my degree first ?

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

Yes and then try for a commission.

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