Is there really no boot camp?

lifeafter40 · Jul 16, 2008

Hi, Shoe. Welcome to Allnurses! Army Officers do not go to the enlisted "Boot Camp". But as a Nurse Corps Officer, you will go to AMEDD OBLC (Officer Basic Leaders Course) You will learn many of the same things that they do in Boot Camp, but in a more respectful and professional atmosphere. Your training there will also be more focused on the mission of the Medical Dept. as it relates to the Army. Be sure that if you decide to pursue this avenue that you contact an actual AMEDD Officer recruiter, not an enlisted recruiter... for rest assured that Army medics, and other enlisted health care personnel, DO go through Basic Training, and are not Officers. Hope this helps.

S

the Army's site is:

http://www.goarmy.com/amedd/nurse/index.jsp

also:

http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/obc/Index.htm

http://armynursecorps.amedd.army.mil/

shoebottom · Jul 16, 2008

How long does OBLC last? Do you have to have your BSN inorder to sign up?

Ashley

shoebottom · Jul 16, 2008

What is the height and weight standards?

LLLovely, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2008

I think I addressed the basic training question in another thread, but it surely seems to be an issue. It is upsetting because officer recruiters should be thorough and honest enough to tell nursing students about AMEDD recruiters and their other options.

Anyway, there is a program like that for typical officer recruits. The person who already has a bachelor's degree, in any field, will sign up for a particular branch in the Army. In this case, it sounds like they are signing up for Medical Service Corps which is akin to hospital administration, but is not a route to the Army Nurse Corps! Those people go to regular basic training as enlisted rank E-4. Immediately upon graduation, they are promoted to sergeant (E-5) and are sent directly to Officer Candidate School. Once they graduate from OCS, they get commissioned as 2LTs and go to their branch specific OBLC, then onto an assignment. To my knowledge, this program does NOT allow nurses to get a commission in the Nurse Corps.

To go in any non-medical and non-attorney branch speciality in the Army, you need a bachelor's degree in any field and a BSN will do. Like anywhere else, they do not have to use you in your field. Just as a person with a degree in finance who becomes an infantry officer, you would not be doing anything that actually required your degree.

If you want to actually work as a nurse, you need to speak to an AMEDD (for the Army) or whatever the health care recruiters are called in other branches of service to get a direct commission into the nursing specialty. Perhaps your friend needs a heads up that he may be on the wrong path. I do know one nurse who was so burned out from school that he decided to go into the Army as an engineer officer, but that was entirely his choice because he wasn't sure he wanted to be a nurse after the time he had in school.

Sgaik · Aug 5, 2008

No boot camp for anyone that is a Nurse going in. It is more of this what the misson is and this what an officer does... and of course some PT tests

richardjboro1 · Aug 5, 2008

No boot camp for anyone that is a Nurse going in. It is more of this what the misson is and this what an officer does... and of course some PT tests

I would beg to differ on "no boot camp". While it may not be the same as the enlisted men/women go thru, it is still quite rigorous including class time and PT.

lifeafter40 · Aug 5, 2008

I would beg to differ on "no boot camp". While it may not be the same as the enlisted men/women go thru, it is still quite rigorous including class time and PT.

Also we are assuming that by "nurses" you mean BSN... Nurse Corp Officers... I believe that The military equivalent of LPN are enlisted.. but still nurses??