I have been debating on joing the military now for the last year while going through nursing school. I have been debating between airforce and navy as well as joing with my RN or getting bSN first. I find myself in a pickle and need some help.
I have been wanting to speak with those in the mililtary as a nurse and their experiences, tips, suggestions ect. My boyfriend told me of this place and I wish I would have found it a long time ago. I have been putting off talkign to recruiters because I want to find out everything I can before I do so I know what to believe and ask. Many military and non military people I know tell me "they will tell you anything to get you to join." I have always wanted to be a nurse, I am only 20 years old (turn 21 in feb 2012) but I am mature for my age. I graduated a year early form high school (had a minor setback in nursing school thus far and should have graduated this last may but I have recovered and will be graduating in may 2012).
I want to help people and experience as much as possible. Iplan on joining either navy or airforce for 3-4 years then I would like to settle down with my boyfirend (the love of my life) and start a family.
I need any tips and information you can give me please. I am seeing that getting a BSN and joining AF is goign ot be a long wait and very few get in ( I didnt realize how scant jobs were in AF for BSN nurses). My younger sister is married to a navy submariner and she says there is a shortage for nurses in the navy, Is this true?
(Lunah, your statement is not 100% accurate. You need a nursing degree, and bachelors, but you don't need a BSN. I have an ASN and bachelors in music and am commissioned in the AF as a flight nurse.)
How long did it take you to get your degree after your RN to become a AF flight nurse? Do you have to have an EMT/Paramedic as well? I know to be a civilian flight nurse you do. What do you mean commissioned in as a flight nurse? How long have you been a flight nurse and do you enjoy it? Sorry for all the questions I am very curious.
I would talk to recruiters. I think the impression they will mislead you is not true. My recruiter didn't say anything that wasn't true. Nursing is very competitive and you will need a year or more of experience to get in and a bachelors degree. Once you have some experience you can start the process of applying. This can take up to two years, so you can have quite a bit of job experience when you enter. Good luck.
Do you think a year of expereince while I am doing my bachelors would be enough? what branch are you in? Ill talk to recruiters during the christmas break and see what I can find out. :) thank you
(Lunah, your statement is not 100% accurate. You need a nursing degree, and bachelors, but you don't need a BSN. I have an ASN and bachelors in music and am commissioned in the AF as a flight nurse.)
Does this go for active duty as well? I was referring to active; thought it was different. In any case, as of now, BSNs are required for active, according to the various service websites.
I have been debating on joing the military now for the last year while going through nursing school. I have been debating between airforce and navy as well as joing with my RN or getting bSN first. I find myself in a pickle and need some help.
I have been wanting to speak with those in the mililtary as a nurse and their experiences, tips, suggestions ect. My boyfriend told me of this place and I wish I would have found it a long time ago. I have been putting off talkign to recruiters because I want to find out everything I can before I do so I know what to believe and ask. Many military and non military people I know tell me "they will tell you anything to get you to join." I have always wanted to be a nurse, I am only 20 years old (turn 21 in feb 2012) but I am mature for my age. I graduated a year early form high school (had a minor setback in nursing school thus far and should have graduated this last may but I have recovered and will be graduating in may 2012).
I want to help people and experience as much as possible. Iplan on joining either navy or airforce for 3-4 years then I would like to settle down with my boyfirend (the love of my life) and start a family.
I need any tips and information you can give me please. I am seeing that getting a BSN and joining AF is goign ot be a long wait and very few get in ( I didnt realize how scant jobs were in AF for BSN nurses). My younger sister is married to a navy submariner and she says there is a shortage for nurses in the navy, Is this true?
PLEASE HELP ME
Thank you.
Another consideration you may have is that if you pursue your BSN first, you can apply for the Navy Nurse Candidate Program your sophomore year. You will receive a $10,000 bonus plus a monthly stipend of $1000 totaling up to $34,000 which could potentially pay your way through nursing school depending where you go! Also, if you are selected, you are guaranteed a place as a commissioned officer once you graduate. You would however have a 4 or 5 year obligation to serve active duty upon graduation. I am currently in the Navy Nurse Candidate Program and graduate nursing school in December 2012 and will go to Officer Development School in January or February 2013 and will serve 5 years active duty but I am really considering making it a career as every nurse I have talked to that is in the Navy loves their job and wouldn't trade it for the world. If you have any further questions regarding the program, let me know! :)
Another consideration you may have is that if you pursue your BSN first, you can apply for the Navy Nurse Candidate Program your sophomore year. You will receive a $10,000 bonus plus a monthly stipend of $1000 totaling up to $34,000 which could potentially pay your way through nursing school depending where you go! Also, if you are selected, you are guaranteed a place as a commissioned officer once you graduate. You would however have a 4 or 5 year obligation to serve active duty upon graduation. I am currently in the Navy Nurse Candidate Program and graduate nursing school in December 2012 and will go to Officer Development School in January or February 2013 and will serve 5 years active duty but I am really considering making it a career as every nurse I have talked to that is in the Navy loves their job and wouldn't trade it for the world. If you have any further questions regarding the program, let me know! :)
Im a sophmore right now. I only have one semster left of my sophmore year. Im planning on talking to recruiters soon. Tell me more about this navy nurse candidate program? also what do you know about trying to enlist with just your RN vs BSN.How is the program? where do you go to school at? How long does officer development school take? Any other information you can give me to help would be greatly appreciated. I have been hearing alot of mixed information on enlisting with your RN vs BSN. I just wantt o get as much information as i can when I talk to recruiters so I am fully aware of what Im getting into. I have been leaning more towards navy lately than all the other branches. :) Thank you for responding hope to hear from you again soon. :)
for the NCP you must be pursuing your BSN. I do not know about enlisting with your RN versus your BSN but do believe you are required to have your BSN to be a nurse in the military and it is a requirement in order to be an officer. I don't know about nurses on the enlisted side, just officer. While in the Nurse Candidate Program, you have no obligations to the Navy meaning you go on living your civilian life while you receive your sign on bonuses and monthly stipend once you swear in. I currently go to school at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, I'm in their accelerated program. Nursing is actually my second bachelors degree. I graduate in December next year and when I graduate I will have 30-60 days to complete the NCLEX exam and once I pass it, I will go to Newport, Rhode Island for 5 weeks for officer development school. After ODS, I will go to my first permanent duty station and will be in training/orientation for about 6 months before I am able to work on my own in my nursing unit. You can find more information regarding the Navy NCP here and everything on here is exactly what my recruiter told me about and did not try to fluff anything up to get me to join. http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/accessions/Pages/NurseCandidateProgram_Prospective.aspx should give you the information you need :) let me know if there is anything else you would like to know to help make your decision.
elizeub--here is information directly off the navy healthcare site. also, if you have a facebook there is a navy healthcare page where you can ask more questions and there are recruiters on that page as well as members of the nurse corps who can help answer anymore of your questions.. that's where i got some of my information while i was in the application process for the ncp earlier this year.
navy nurse candidate program (ncp)
an educational support program for full time students within 24 months of completing their bsn degree and who desire to serve the us navy after graduation.
eligible degree programs:
o nlnac or ccne accredited bsn programs
benefits
o monthly continuation bonus of $1000
o $10,000 signing bonus paid as $5000 at signing then $5000 6 months into the program
military/service commitment
o 4 years of active duty obligation for up to 12 months of scholarship
o 5 years for 12months and 1 day to 24 months of scholarship
eligibility criteria
ou.s. citizen (dual citizenship not permitted)
ophysically qualified for a commission in the u.s. navy
oaccepted into an accredited residency training program
oat least 18 years old and able to complete 20 years of commissioned service before the age of 62
oenrolled or accepted into a full time (not on-line) accredited bsn program
Ok update on whats going on. I have sent questions and requested information for airforce, navy and army (last night). So fair I have gotten responses from air force and army. The airforce recruiter didnt realy answer my questions just said when I meet certian circumstances then I can contact them... The army recruiter answered my questions and told me about the Army Nursing Candidate Program. I hope to be contacted by the navy soon. Ill be goign to hourston for a week on the 9th of december so Im going to talk to recruiters there in person. I want to thank all of you have been helping me and posting on here. :) you guys are amazing
Ok update on whats going on. I have sent questions and requested information for airforce, navy and army (last night). So fair I have gotten responses from air force and army. The airforce recruiter didnt realy answer my questions just said when I meet certian circumstances then I can contact them... The army recruiter answered my questions and told me about the Army Nursing Candidate Program. I hope to be contacted by the navy soon. Ill be goign to hourston for a week on the 9th of december so Im going to talk to recruiters there in person. I want to thank all of you have been helping me and posting on here. :) you guys are amazing
Where are you from because I may be able to put you in contact with my recruiter for the Navy :)
Where are you from because I may be able to put you in contact with my recruiter for the Navy :)
Well I live in Carlsbad New Mexico. Im helping my cousin move back from Katy Texas to Hobbs New mexico. I looked at the recruiter map on the navy website and there are recruiters like right around the corner from each other the only problem is figuring out where the healthcare recruiters are. Still dont have a response from them maybe they are having difficulty locating one for me. the nurse candidate program is really appealing to me if they can get me into training quickly and I can get a job. I was hoping I would be able to get in with my RN and be able to work as a nurse so I can work from the ground up (because I know im young and alot of peole may not take me seriously as an officer) but i know the benefits and rank/pay is better. You have been so helpful. I hope I hear form someone soon or that I can get in with someone in houston. :)
I am starting to feel a little defeated. I really am starting to lean towards Navy and army. Army has responded to me and are very helpful. I still havent been contacted by navy i did the live chat on the website and the guy who talked t me wasnt very helpful and left me still confused. I have been reading that some people have been able to get in with just RNs but they told me I absolutely have to have y BSN. Then I talked about corpsemen and medic and he didnt tell me aything baout it besides that i need ot take the ASVAB to even see if I get placed in that (IM GONNA BE ANURSE IN MAY). I feel like crying ugh I just realy want to bein it and like ASAP I really dont want to wait and do BSN then officer though if I have to I will but I really wanted to start from the bottom and work up but be working as a nurse. I NEED HELP. I dont have a local recruiter here and I dont know where the nearest healthcare recruiter I wil be going ot Houston TX in a week for a week so I think Im going to see recruiters there, they are like around the corner from each other on recruiter map on website.
ok i have decided after long talk with sister and her navy submarine husband and my moms husband who used to be a corpseman I have decided I am going to complete my bachelors so now I am goign to need information on Navy candidate program :) :) I feel better
i did the live chat on the website and the guy who talked t me wasnt very helpful and left me still confused. I have been reading that some people have been able to get in with just RNs but they told me I absolutely have to have y BSN. Then I talked about corpsemen and medic and he didnt tell me aything baout it besides that i need ot take the ASVAB to even see if I get placed in that (IM GONNA BE ANURSE IN MAY). I feel like crying ugh I just realy want to bein it and like ASAP I really dont want to wait and do BSN then officer though if I have to I will but I really wanted to start from the bottom and work up but be working as a nurse. I NEED HELP. I dont have a local recruiter here and I dont know where the nearest healthcare recruiter I wil be going ot Houston TX in a week for a week so I think Im going to see recruiters there, they are like around the corner from each other on recruiter map on website.
ElizEub:)
17 Posts
How long did it take you to get your degree after your RN to become a AF flight nurse? Do you have to have an EMT/Paramedic as well? I know to be a civilian flight nurse you do. What do you mean commissioned in as a flight nurse? How long have you been a flight nurse and do you enjoy it? Sorry for all the questions I am very curious.
Thank you :)