How do I become an Army Nurse??

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Hello. I'm currently enlisted (not a medical MOS) in the Army and coming up fast on my ETS date. I want to become a nurse but I also would like to be an officer in the Army. I'm going to be living in Southern California (Near Oceanside) once I get out of the Army.

So here are my questions. If I go through ROTC what is a good school to go to? I've been trying to look around online and it seems like there is a long wait list for all of them. My concern is I'm 23 and I know there is an age limit to your graduation date if you are wishing to get the ROTC scholarship money. I know you can skip ROTC and become a nurse then become an officer. But does it have to be a BSN or can you do it with an ADN? If that's the case can I go to a vocational school (and skip the wait list) for that? Or maybe I could get my LVN at a vocational school, then get my BSN at a school that offers ROTC? Would that help at all for the wait? I'm concerned about the waitlist because I don't want to become to old to be an officer and I don't want to lose momentum in school.

Any advice on the subject would be wonderful!!!

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.

Hello,

What about the AECP? (Army enlisted something something) which sends enlisted soldiers to nursing school and pays tuition and salary while you are in?

It must be a Bachellor's entry degree for active duty. Why not contact AMEDD or usarec?

Good luck and congrats!

Gen

p.s. edit to add, I am 41, Nurse officers can be up to 46 upon entry, (even higher with waiver), but, wouldn't you really rather get paid to go to school through the ARMY, since you are in already hopefully you can do this versus

ROTC

Hello. I'm currently enlisted (not a medical MOS) in the Army and coming up fast on my ETS date. I want to become a nurse but I also would like to be an officer in the Army. I'm going to be living in Southern California (Near Oceanside) once I get out of the Army.

So here are my questions. If I go through ROTC what is a good school to go to? I've been trying to look around online and it seems like there is a long wait list for all of them. My concern is I'm 23 and I know there is an age limit to your graduation date if you are wishing to get the ROTC scholarship money. I know you can skip ROTC and become a nurse then become an officer. But does it have to be a BSN or can you do it with an ADN? If that's the case can I go to a vocational school (and skip the wait list) for that? Or maybe I could get my LVN at a vocational school, then get my BSN at a school that offers ROTC? Would that help at all for the wait? I'm concerned about the waitlist because I don't want to become to old to be an officer and I don't want to lose momentum in school.

Any advice on the subject would be wonderful!!!

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Hi Gennaver

Haven't heard from you in awhile. How's it going now that you're actually doing the Army thing?

theshirls

I do know one thing...you have to get a BSN to join the ANC. They only accept ADN if you're going into the Reserves. You need to talk to an ANC recruiter. Good luck.

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Hello,

What about the AECP? (Army enlisted something something) which sends enlisted soldiers to nursing school and pays tuition and salary while you are in?

It must be a Bachellor's entry degree for active duty. Why not contact AMEDD or usarec?

Good luck and congrats!

Gen

p.s. edit to add, I am 41, Nurse officers can be up to 46 upon entry, (even higher with waiver), but, wouldn't you really rather get paid to go to school through the ARMY, since you are in already hopefully you can do this versus

ROTC

I do like the idea of AECP, but I would need to get most of my prereqs done before I could do that. I haven't been able to get very many classes done through earmyu. Although maybe I could ETS finish my prereqs, then enlist again while I'm on the wait list for nursing. Once I'm low enough on the wait list then I could go through the AECP program. I'm glad the age limit is high I thought it was somewhere around 27-30.

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Hi Gennaver

I do know one thing...you have to get a BSN to join the ANC. They only accept ADN if you're going into the Reserves. You need to talk to an ANC recruiter. Good luck.

Thank you for the information. I'll have to see if I can find a ANC recruiter around here.

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
Thank you for the information. I'll have to see if I can find a ANC recruiter around here.

You can always leave an email contact through the AMEDD site and one will call you.

http://www.goarmy.com/amedd/find_a_recruiter.jsp

It is just that easy.

OH, by the way, when you look at the chart for pay...as a new RN you ought to be an 01 BUT since you are prior service you will be an O1E, then check the years that you've been Enlisted and you will notice that you will start with a higher salary than me. :) Good for you.

Gen

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OH, by the way, when you look at the chart for pay...as a new RN you ought to be an 01 BUT since you are prior service you will be an O1E, then check the years that you've been Enlisted and you will notice that you will start with a higher salary than me. :) Good for you.

Gen

The only reason O1E gets more money starting is TIS. If you look an O1 and O1E get the same money for TIS. They just cap off the O1's money sooner than the O1E. Which makes sense because if you come in as an O1 you shouldn't stay an O1 that long.

I'm stationed at Fort Drum, NY where are you stationed?

There's a recruiter about an hour from me so I'm going to see what she has to say.

Thank you ver much for all the help!!

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Specializes in ICU, Med-Surg, Military Nursing.

I'm a nursing student in San Diego and currently in Army ROTC. I attend Point Loma Nazarene University and there was no wait list as long as you've got the grades and the right prerequs done. ROTC is through San Diego State however you can participate and attend any 4 year school in the area.

My ROTC scholarship covers all tuition as well as $900/yr for books and a monthly taxfree stipend ranging from $300-$500 depending on class year.

ROTC is a good option, and we do have some prior service people in our unit. You might want to look into accelerated BSN programs (such as National University) if you're worried about time. There are a couple of people who attend National University working on their BSNs and are also on scholarship.

I don't know much about ACEP, but I do have people in my nursing classes that are in the MCEP program which is the Navy's version... that seems like a better deal to me because you get still get your full active duty pay and your time in school counts toward retirement versus ROTC which doesn't count.

Let me know if you have anymore more questions.

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
... I'm glad the age limit is high I thought it was somewhere around 27-30.

Hi,

Currently the regular enlisted age is up to 42, kind of a big deal. For RNs it is higher still.

Gen

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
The only reason O1E gets more money starting is TIS. If you look an O1 and O1E get the same money for TIS. They just cap off the O1's money sooner than the O1E. Which makes sense because if you come in as an O1 you shouldn't stay an O1 that long.

I'm stationed at Fort Drum, NY where are you stationed?

There's a recruiter about an hour from me so I'm going to see what she has to say.

Thank you ver much for all the help!!

Good luck,

I am at Fort Sam Houston.

Gen

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Hi,

Currently the regular enlisted age is up to 42, kind of a big deal. For RNs it is higher still.

Gen

I knew the enlisted side went up recently. We just got a 40 year old PVT/E-1. I was really surprised to see that!!!

How did you become an Army nurse? Where you a civilian nurse first?

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
I knew the enlisted side went up recently. We just got a 40 year old PVT/E-1. I was really surprised to see that!!!

How did you become an Army nurse? Where you a civilian nurse first?

I took my oath six months prior to my RN graduation date. It is an honor and I'm glad to be here.

Gen

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