I need some advice about whether being a military nurse is a right choice for me. Here's the outline about me.
-31, married, want to have a baby someday after having a stable career; my husband has a stable job (high school teacher)
-BS in bio, MA in fine arts, applying a few Accelerated BSN programs for next January entry dates, BIG student loans (very very huge!)
-had some clinical background as a hospital volunteer, had some teaching experiences, good at math and science
I want to be a nurse to have a life-long stable career. I heard many rumors that nowadays new nurse graduates have hard time to find jobs in the civilian world. I wonder if situations are better in the military.
I applied navy before, as an undergrad in the delayed entry program, but withdrew at the last moment because I was not placed in the medical field as I requested after the physical exam. But now, since my situation changed, once I become a nurse, I wonder if I can get to work as a nurse in the military. I do have some concerns.
1. What's my chance to get into nurse candidate program? Which branch (navy/air force) is more suitable for me in terms of loan forgiveness, tuition reimbursement? What's the maximum amount that military will help out to pay off the student loans?
2. What are some potential problems for married military nurses? Do most of them live separately away from their spouses during the active duty? Are there employment assistant programs for spouses (civilians) to help married couple stay together? How difficult to have children during active duty?
3.When is best for me to sign up, right after admission to the accelerated BSN or after passing the NCLEX?
4. How easy to get a nursing job in ICU right after I sign in?
5. If I'm thinking about getting a MSN in anesthesia after a few years in ICU, am I allow to pursue that degree as a full time student? Will my status change to reserve?
Any other advices and comments are welcome too. Thank you all in advance!
I just navigated to the ARMY website and they are still popping off with the loan repayment program. Is that at least correct?
I was a recruiter and can tell you the programs are out there on the books but that doesn't mean they offer them as incentives actively. Take a look at the brochures and their dates are probably 2008ish and websites are rarely updated. Loan repayment is still used often for the reserves but AD is almost impossible to get into.
Trust me the nurse corps is full except for small specialties
I was a recruiter and can tell you the programs are out there on the books but that doesn't mean they offer them as incentives actively. Take a look at the brochures and their dates are probably 2008ish and websites are rarely updated. Loan repayment is still used often for the reserves but AD is almost impossible to get into.
Trust me the nurse corps is full except for small specialties
Thanks for the info. I'm not looking to go back in; but was just curious as to what was offered. I appreciate the insight.
I want to thank all of you who gave me valuable advices. They are very helpful. I guess my situation doesn't seem very suitable in the military route. I agree that ultimately the military wants people who are truly willing to serve country. But I'm glad at least I thought about those issues before I take any actions. Thanks again!
Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.
Yo Schultz - If you are "not looking to go back in", then stop talking to recruiters and wasting their time! The healthcare recruiters are spread thin and there are few slots with too many qualified, Willing, Eager nurses fighting for them.
YanYan, good luck and thanks for asking about serving. We worked hard to get the opportunity to serve. We tend to be rather offended when people think that we just "signed up" like the military will just take any poor sucker looking for a job. there are great opportunities in the military, maybe you'll decide to come and take a look again after you get some experience.
Yo Schultz - If you are "not looking to go back in", then stop talking to recruiters and wasting their time! The healthcare recruiters are spread thin and there are few slots with too many qualified, Willing, Eager nurses fighting for them.
YanYan, good luck and thanks for asking about serving. We worked hard to get the opportunity to serve. We tend to be rather offended when people think that we just "signed up" like the military will just take any poor sucker looking for a job. there are great opportunities in the military, maybe you'll decide to come and take a look again after you get some experience.
Actually, I was at a career info session and the recruiter ca to my location. I only went to a recruiting office to get a brochure. And it wasn't a healthcare recruiter btw. So no, I didn't waste anyone's time.
Yo Schultz - If you are "not looking to go back in", then stop talking to recruiters and wasting their time! The healthcare recruiters are spread thin and there are few slots with too many qualified, Willing, Eager nurses fighting for them.
YanYan, good luck and thanks for asking about serving. We worked hard to get the opportunity to serve. We tend to be rather offended when people think that we just "signed up" like the military will just take any poor sucker looking for a job. there are great opportunities in the military, maybe you'll decide to come and take a look again after you get some experience.
One more thing.... Please read the whole thread before you fly off the handle about me "seeking" out a recruiter. It is clearly stated it was at a career fair. The recruiter came to my classroom to present. I had no choice but to sit there.
I want to thank all of you who gave me valuable advices. They are very helpful. I guess my situation doesn't seem very suitable in the military route. I agree that ultimately the military wants people who are truly willing to serve country. But I'm glad at least I thought about those issues before I take any actions. Thanks again!
Absolutely, researching all your options is a good thing! And by the time you finish school and hopefully find work (it can be slim pickins, as you know), it might be a totally different recruiting environment than it is now. I would caution you to think twice about incurring large student loan debt because job prospects might not pan out, but at the end of the day, it's up to you! All the best. :-)
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Absolutely, researching all your options is a good thing! And by the time you finish school and hopefully find work (it can be slim pickins, as you know), it might be a totally different recruiting environment than it is now. I would caution you to think twice about incurring large student loan debt because job prospects might not pan out, but at the end of the day, it's up to you! All the best. :-)
I think I read all of the posts and I didn't see anyone addressing the Navy or the NCP. I was accepted into the Navy NCP this May and can at least answer your questions about that.
I think you have to be in a regular nursing program to be considered for the NCP. The problem with accelerated programs is that once you get in you apply for the NCP which is a LONG and tedious process to say the least (took me 10 months from finding a recruiter to taking my oath). When you take your oath and sign your papers you have to have between 6 and 24 months left of your program. If like our accelerated program, yours is 12 months long, you would probably not have 6 months left by the time everything went through.
You do get a $10,000 sign on bonus plus $1,000 per month (so if you play your cards right, your looking at a $34,000 bonus) while in school though, so it is nice. You have to do your initial commitment first (4 years if you have 6-12 months left and 5 years if you have 12-24) before you can apply for loan repayment programs which from what I understand you may or may not end up getting.
The NCP was very competitive. I'm not sure exactly how many applied but the number 2,000 floated around for awhile (again, I'll never really know)... there were 70 spots this year. As for nurses who graduate and then apply for the Navy, the odds are much worse. My recruiter told me that there were 15 spots nationwide for that.
With all that being said, my husband was active duty AF. In that 6 years we had 2 children, moved 4 times, and he got orders to Korea for a year long unaccompanied tour. It is hard, but you live through it. From what I am being told (and you always have to be ready for what you are being told to not be the reality of the situation) almost all new grad nurses end up in either Bethesda MD, Portsmouth VA or San Diego CA. You will be at your first duty station for 3 years (most likely).
Hopefully that answered some unanswered questions :)
Those are by far the best 2 threads on this site for information on applying to the active duty air force nurse corps. There are a least a dozen participants who either just got in or are actively applying.
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1,871 Posts
I was a recruiter and can tell you the programs are out there on the books but that doesn't mean they offer them as incentives actively. Take a look at the brochures and their dates are probably 2008ish and websites are rarely updated. Loan repayment is still used often for the reserves but AD is almost impossible to get into.
Trust me the nurse corps is full except for small specialties