Interested in the Nurse Candidate Program after hospitalization + therapy?

[Guest949352]

Hello! This is my first post on here after lurking for awhile...

I'm currently a senior in high school and have been looking a lot into joining the Navy Nurse Corps, especially through the Nurse Candidate Program. I've scoured articles and forums for any information I could find about the process - what I documents I need in order to apply, what sort of physical requirements there are, etc. However, my plans have been turned over after I only recently came upon the DoD medical standards. I found that I've suffered from a few conditions/circumstances that would result in being DQ'ed or PDQ'ed, and was wondering if there was, by some tiny miracle, a chance that they could possibly be waived.

I dealt with a lot of stress in the last quarter of 2013, mostly from moving schools that year and the pressure my parents were putting on me to succeed in a new environment, and I was admitted to a local hospital for 3 days in November '13 after an overdose scare. I never had any intention of dying, but I didn't know how else to reach out to my parents without fear of being belittled and being told to "suck it up". I saw a therapist intermittently for a little over a year after, but I've never been diagnosed with any kind of mood or personality disorder prior or afterwards, nor have I ever been prescribed any medication.

In fact, I've had a clean bill of health since, and although that doesn't guarantee that another incident won't happen from now until I apply, I'm confident in myself that it won't happen again. That was the only instance of any kind of medical emergency I've ever had. By the time I actually apply for the NCP, it will have been nearly 6 years since the whole ordeal occurred.

I understand that psychiatric hospitalization and suicide gestures are both grounds for being PDQ'ed, but I have heard of people getting waivers for these things (albeit very, VERY, rarely), but I also know that waivers are subjective, circumstantial, and hardly ever given in a lot of cases. I also understand that some conditions just can't be waived. But a part of me is still holding out hope that, with enough proof that I can serve to the standards of the Navy, I'll be able to get them. As of now, I still intend to apply even though it's a few years off. I know I'm probably delusional for even considering the possibility of a waiver, but I'd rather try and be denied than not try at all.

My main questions are:

- Is there any possibility that, with enough evidence that I'm fit to serve, I could get a waiver (or waivers) for what happened?

- Should I just give up on the idea of joining any branch of the military and accept civilian nursing?

- And somewhat unrelated, how extensive is the medical screening for Navy officers? I don't intend to withhold any information, but I'm curious if it's any different than that performed at MEPS.

Be as honest and objective as you need to be. I want to know any information you may have, even if it isn't what I want to hear.

Thank you so much!

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Honestly, I do not believe that you would be granted a waiver with that history. But you can run it by a recruiter, if course — if you don't ask, the answer is always no.

I am glad things turned out well for you!

[troy14]

I am happy to hear you are doing better, stay on that track!

I hope our answers don't deter you from applying, you'll never know until you do. That being said, I do think with as competitive as the programs are now and that kind of history...the chances are slim. I had a broken elbow and the amount of documentation and paperwork and exams I had to go through were absolutely insane..that was my only "history" (I'm 26) so I was astounded.

I can't imagine how much a suicide attempt / overdose would take to get a wavier for. Again, these are just honest answers but none of us here on allnurses.com are the people that make the decisions for waviers or not, so, we can't tell you for sure.

[jeckrn, BSN, RN]

By the time you get done with your BSN and have experience and you do not have any therapy you should be able to get a waiver. But it will also depend on the needs at the time.