Military Career Questions

[HI-5]

Aloha all, I have been lurking on these boards quite sometime.

I live in Honolulu, HI, 20 something year old male, graduated with a BSN in May of this year, take my boards in mid July and is BLS/CPR, ACLS, PALS, TNCC, and NRP certified. I have no medical work experience. However, I’m currently enlisted in the Air National Guard with 8 years of service in aircraft maintenance. I don’t mind deploying and I’m very familiar with the military lifestyle in general.

I have been in contact with a Navy Medical Officer Recruiter for the Reserves and Active Duty, an Active Duty Air Force Medical Officer Recruiter, and the Nurse Corps commander in the Air National Guard unit.

My situation. . .

Prior to nursing school, I wanted to work in paradise but get deployed as a commissioned officer as needed. The problem is, to be a commissioned officer in the Reserves of NG, you need to be working as an RN (in any type of nursing). But jobs are scarce here in Hawaii (it’s a big Island, but it is an island) because no one wants to train a new graduate. It’s very difficult in getting a hospital tech type of position in hospitals here to get your foot in the door. However, I do feel like I have a chance working at a clinic as a RN in a blood bank type of environment, but I feel opportunities for advancement may be hindered by having that as my first job (thoughts, opinions please) in terms of acquiring a hospital RN billet.

I’m torn between staying in 50th state and being p/t military or going full active duty and I would like some of your thoughts, opinions, and advice! I have always wanted to experience active duty military but always wanted to have Hawaii as my home base and travel with the military throughout the year (Can't have it all though)

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Considering that I’m currently enlisted, are my chances of being selected for active duty (USN/USAF) nurse candidate higher than those who are non-prior service, despite not having no working experience in the medical field

In the USN/USAF Reserves/National Guard, are you able to volunteer for deployment assignments frequently? And are there opportunities to go places elsewhere besides the desert?

Should I become an officer in the Reserves or National Guard, is it difficult in transferring to active duty? (In terms of acquiring an RN billet and time frame)

Does the Navy have a program similar to the Air Force’s Nurse Transition Program? For example, will I have to go to a large training hospital stateside, then transfer to my first duty station (assuming it’s stateside as well), or will I have the opportunity to be stationed overseas? (I’d like to go to Yokosuka!)

I have spoken with a few people, my Navy recruiter, and have read through these boards that deployment on a boat is highly sought after; is this true, and is being deployed on a bought more so of a volunteer thing? (I don’t mind being deployed on a boat, however I like being on land! Although being on a boat and going to different places sounds fun)

I have been reading that applying for graduate school in active duty is very competitive; is it that bad as it sounds? (I would like to apply for nurse anesthesia as a graduate degree later down the road.)

Considering that majority of Air Force medical facilities are “clinics” and the Navy has many medical clinics as well, do you feel that you get a lot from these experiences (in terms of work experience)?

What is the pathway like to become a flight nurse in the Air Force? (The amount of work experience, years, training, etc.) And is it fun?!

How do you like the lifestyle of the Navy? What are your pro’s and con’s from your point of view? (Assuming there are differences from Air Force)

How do you like the lifestyle of active duty Air force? What are your pro’s and con’s from your point of view? (Considering I have been in the Guard for 8 years)

All minimum service requirements are 4 years for any service correct? (Considering that I have read some saying 2 or 3 years)

If I were to apply for an overseas or stateside US government/military medical facility as a civilian RN, do they accommodate you with base housing or OHA (BAH) for off-base living?

There are some questions I could think as of now, but I have many more.

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

HI-5,

It's obviously you have a lot of questions and you're trying to make an informed decision. I'm Army, so I can't answer all, but I can tell you a few general things:

1. If you want to go active, don't beat around the bush. I've been told by Navy folks (this is also true in my branch) that it isn't easy to transfer right now.

2. The boards are highly sought after and extremely competitive. Deployment (as far as I know) is certainly not a mostly-volunteer experience, land, boat or otherwise. There is the opportunity to volunteer, but that's finnicky at best and good luck if you want any control over where you go.

3. As far as I know (in my branch), civvies don't get BAH.

4. If you are a new nurse, working in a blood bank will give you a specific set of skills. If you work in a hospital, you will gain another set of skills. It really depends on what skill set you want more because hospital nursing is so vastly different than the clinic setting (trust me, I've been to both!).

Chances are good you won't get replies to all your questions. There is a lot of info on this board on some of those questions already, and some questions are too broad, personalized and variant to give you a straight answer on. Look around the boards, talk with your recruiter and decide for yourself what you really want to do (active or guard/reserves) and go from there.