Joining national guard

[Ashtimus Prime]

Any Idea of what an RN with an associates degree would be doing in the military as an enlisted? I was wondering because if I will still most likely have to do the training classes for my military skill even though I have an RN license it would be a waste. I could be earning my bachelors instead of that. I was hoping I could join the reserves and luckily not get deployed until I got my bachelors. Was looking for a stepping stone before I transitioned to an officer.

[Ashtimus Prime]

I do not know the answer to that question, but I assume after or or 3 semesters I would be eligible to sit for the LPN exam.

[Extra Pickles]

I do not know the answer to that question, but I assume after or or 3 semesters I would be eligible to sit for the LPN exam.

Not a good assumption, most states don't allow this option. If yours does of course you can do that, but you can't assume it as a plan until you are certain it's a possibility.

[Extra Pickles]

Why not just work as an RN and do a 12-month RN to BSN online program...then apply as an officer? Many hospitals pay for part of it.

to offer a bit of info, it's becoming rarer and rarer for hospitals to reimburse more than a portion of each course (after completion with an A or B) and even those agreements come after having been employed for at least a year AND then the employee agrees to stay for another X amount of years after the degree is completed or they have to pay it all back. Only a good option if someone really wants to stay put in that hospital, not so much if the goal is to leave once done with the degree.

times have changed and there are more and more nurses who are entering the workforce already holding BSNs competing for a dwindling number of open positions. It's tough out there

[cens983, BSN, LVN, RN]

Have you considered the Army ROTC Nursing scholarship? Look up their Simultaneous Membership Program. There are a couple nursing cadets in my reserve unit under the AROTC/SMP program.

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

Programs to assist with going back to school are admittedly rare and generally entail certain restrictions. It doesn't mean you can't look as part of your overall plan.

According to the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, the percentage of graduating RNs getting BSNs vs ADNs is still roughly 50/50. The unemployment rate for RNs is between 1-2% depending on the source. You may not be working at a teaching hospital in a big city, but your odds of finding a job as an RN with an ADN in a rural area at a smaller facility is still quite good. I'm sure everyone can quote some anecdote about new grad so-and-so who couldn't find a job for a year, but the overall national numbers don't support those one-off stories.

[CCNP-FL]

I'm an Army Nurse in the National Guard.

Just go and get your BSN from any accredited program and then access into the military as a nurse. Don't waste your time going in enlisted -- it will hold back your time getting your BSN done for up to a year for basic, AIT, etc. The only reason I'd say to go do that is if you just want the personal experience of being an enlisted Soldier. The moment you have an MOS (after AIT), you will be deployable, however.

My best advice is if your goal is to be a nurse in the Army, then get your BSN and then start the direct commission process.

Alternatively, as someone else said, you could do ROTC, but that will take a significant amount of time. It is the route I took and really didn't improve my standing as a nurse, but gave me good foundational officership skills. If you do the SMP Cadet gig, then you will get practical experience and earn time in service (for pay and retirement) at a reserve or Guard unit as Cadet. That might give you the fulfillment of service and better understanding how the military works in-uniform. You can do ROTC and/or SMP, you don't have to do SMP -- but it provides an extra paycheck and potential scholarship + practical experience. You are not deployable as an ROTC Cadet.

Things to think about.

Also look into other branches like the USAF and USN which also use nurses. I'm in the process of attempting to go to the USAF Reserves and leave the Army National Guard.

Food for thought. Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

Good luck with the process and decisions!

[Extra Pickles]

It looks like the OP has moved on to other ideas, maybe other career aspirations.

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

You can just enlist and take whatever job they give you. This will get you in the military, but won't provide any boost to your nursing career. It will also significantly impede your ability to attend school. Once you become a nurse, you can commission into a nursing job. I see no benefit to doing this though.