I want to join the US Navy as a Nurse

SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2014

First off, the above link is where you'll want to look around for answers. There are a ton of preexisting threads on this topic.

Now, to answer your questions as best I can:

1. If you join enlisted, you'll have to try to go to college while you're also on active duty or in the reserves. You could pay for college with your GI bill afterward or you could try to get into a program that allows you to go to nursing school while on active duty, but those are highly competitive and if you want to be a nurse in the Navy, you shouldn't enlist in order to get there. Not in this day an age, anyway.

2. Yes. You'll need a 4 year degree (RN-BSN) in order to enter the Navy and probably some experience, though the Navy is accepting a very small, competitive number of new grads as I understand it. Your other option would be to do NROTC while in college, which would result in your commission after successfully taking and passing the NCLEX-RN.

3. Expect with regards to what? I can tell you on the Army side of the house, there is a lot of overtime (uncompensated), lots of extra duties, and you basically feel married to your work. If you're not willing to give the Navy 110%, it isn't for you.

4. See above. That'll depend on which route you take (NROTC versus direct commission).

5. There's no specific diet endorsed by any of the services as far as I'm aware. Talk with your primary care provider about safe, effective weight loss programs. You can easily look up the weight standards for you height with the use of Google. Again, in order to be competitive, you will need to be in shape. Most recruiters won't seriously consider you if you can't pass height/weight standards.

6. As an enlistee, you need your high school diploma. As an RN, entry level is BSN.

7. Yes. Navy nurses who don't complete NROTC go to a 3-month (I believe) training.

8. You need your degree and to be in shape. You'll also need to be patient as most things government happen very, very slowly.

allnurses Guide · Sep 9, 2014

This thread is for school district nurses. I'll see if I can get it moved to the thread above.

But you got a great answer from SoldierNurse22!

Silverdragon102, BSN · Sep 9, 2014

Moved to the Government and Military forum

oaktown2 · Sep 10, 2014

I echo SoldierNurse22's comments with the exception of one small detail - if you aren't NROTC, your training is 5 weeks.

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Sep 10, 2014

Keep in mind when you do ROTC in college you have military classes added to your schedule. My daughter is Army ROTC and was placed in a learning community. She goes every morning before classes to PT in addition to other drills during the week. It isn't just joining and doing your time after, you have commitments during the school year also. She is super busy but she loves her group and classes.

PEK93RT · Sep 12, 2014

I am a LT (lieutenant/O3) in the Navy for background purposes. The Navy has the best medicine/hospitals out of the 3 branches, and also the best duty stations and uniforms! Your biggest hurdle is your weight, if you don't fit standards, the Navy is not going to invest/waste their time/resources on you (unless your a MD). Physical Readiness Testing (twice a year) are becoming more important in the Nurse Corps, with an excellent result being the minimal desired. If you achieve less than an excellent result, it looks bad for promotion boards and for applying for higher education. If you fail to pass the weigh in, you will be processed out. The Navy is extremely competitive to get into right now, and their cutting back on paying for school. Why pay for school and a small monthly stipend, when they can pay 20-30k signon for an experienced nurse? When i entered the Navy 3 years ago, there was a 6% chance of being accepted. With that being said, the Navy has been a wonderful experience, camaraderie with your peers, ability to mold corpsman (medics or LVN equivalent on civilian side), the pay is fantastic, and the ability to serve your country/support the war effort.

In the Navy, your not just a RN, but your first and foremost an Officer. As an Ensign and Lieutenant Junior Grade (O1/O2) your focus will be on nursing, but after that you will need to progress in leadership positions, otherwise you will fail to promote to Lieutenant Commander (O4). Higher ranks require that you be in leadership positions such as: division officer (nurse manager), department head, etc. You will not be able to stay as a clinical nurse for a career.

Navy Officer Development School (ODS) is the boot camp for Staff Corps (MD, RN, Chaplains, Lawyers, PA, etc) it is a 5 week ordeal, and basically a walk in the park. You will PT 6 days a week, classes the rest of the day, and be yelled at for only 1 day, unless your class messes up.

As for weight loss, if you want to loss weight and keep it off without too much effort. I recommend a Vegan diet with minimal processed food. The weight should melt off, as most vegan food is not calorie dense.

jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA · Sep 12, 2014

I don't know a whole lot about the Navy, but the Air Force does 3 promotion tracks: education, management, and clinician. I would imagine all branches have something similar. In other words, you don't need to be a manager or commander to become an O-5 or O-6. We have a master clinician role for graduate-trained CNS/CRNA/NP's that goes as high as O-6.

I just wanted to say that you can lead without having to be a manager. Teaching ACLS, process improvement projects, and mentoring new nurses is certainly a form of leadership too.

dingus · Dec 12, 2014

Not much on the military part, but for weight loss you can try looking into a ketogenic diet. I was almost two hundred pounds before starting it about a year and a half ago. I am around 130 right now. The diet is strict but it works, and there is no starving. As long as you don't go crazy and pick up bad eating habits after reaching your goal the pounds won't come back.