Military as a BSN with no RN license

Editorial Team / Moderator · Sep 5, 2017

I have moved your post to the government/military forum for maximum responses. And no, everyone I knew with a BSN in the military was an RN. What do you think you could offer the military with a BSN degree and no RN license? Is there a particular military job that interests you? Not sure what you would be qualified for, though. A four-year degree does not guarantee a commission.

jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA · Sep 5, 2017

I think the answer is going to be no. Everyone who looks at you is going to ask why you don't have an RN license if you completed a BSN. Becoming a military officer, especially without ROTC, is far more difficult than getting most civilian jobs. The military is not a backup option just because you can't pass the NCLEX or have been out of practice so long your RN has expired.

hiiiitsgen · Sep 6, 2017

Short answer: Yes.

You could have a BSN and become a military officer but you will NOT practice as a nurse.

Someone I know had an ROTC contract and was going through nursing school. She graduated with her BSN but could not pass her NCLEX. They gave her 3 attempts to pass, she failed the NCLEX all 3 times. She was supposed to commission into the Army Nurse Corps but since she couldn't pass her NCLEX they branched her into the Medical Service Corps. Still received a commission.

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Sep 11, 2017

Hiiistigen is right, you can commission with a bachelor degree, but not work as a nurse.

jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA · Sep 13, 2017

Yeah, you can hypothetically join with a bachelor's in underwater basket-weaving. It's not very likely, but you hypothetically could. This person doesn't seem to have done ROTC. That means they are basically competing on the same playing field with all the college grads working at starbucks.

Sure, you could hypothetically apply as a direct accession line officer. The acceptance rate for that isn't incredibly high.