Military Nursing - Advice Needed!

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I'm looking for some advice with my nursing career. I'm interested in military nursing and have been since high school but I'm not sure it's the right career path for me. I've been a nurse for a year now where I spent the first 11 months working in a float pool (Orthopedics, Neurology, Rehab, and an observation unit) and I'm currently working in the NICU (I've only been there 4 weeks). I'm starting to think that NICU nursing is a big mistake if I ever want to join any military branch and serve (I would like to do active duty and deploy at some point). Would any of the branches look at it as a disadvantage for having a NICU background and wanting to join? I wouldn't want to join and be a NICU nurse. I know it's highly competitive to get in right now but I did very well in school with a 3.69 nursing GPA and I was a part of Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society. I am also working on getting in the best shape I can to improve my odds of being selected. I really like the critical care NICU environment so far, but I've also always wanted to serve and I'm trying to figure out if that is something I can still do. Any and all advice would be appreciated!

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

Whatever area of nursing you want to do in the military is what you should switch to now; you'll need at least 1 year of full time experience in the specialty of your choice. PICU and NICU opportunities are extremely limited in the military. There is a NICU specialty code, but it locks you to only handful of bases; it sort of pigeon holes you. The most desirable applicants right now have OR experience. To a lesser extent ER and ICU backgrounds are also desirable; NICU experience does NOT count as ICU experience. You need ICU experience that involves vasoactive drips, vents, and invasive monitoring.

It sounds like your GPA is on competitive. Get some certifications to pad your resume: ACLS, PALS, TNCC, ATCN and board certification (CCRN, CEN, etc).

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

Also, you're eligible to join right now as an un-specialized 'clinical nurse.' Or, you can wait a year and join as a NICU nurse. Or, you can get a year of civilian experience somewhere else and do that.

Clinical nurse is pretty much everybody that isn't either OR, ER, ICU, flight, NICU, OB, or Psych. They can be put in outpatient clinics, PACU, ambulatary procedure/light sedation areas, inpatient med-surg, or some random auxiliary role (executive officer, disease management, infection control, education and training). Of course, you can move in and out of any of these jobs at the discretion of your leadership. You don't really get to pick.

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Thank you for the helpful comments! I assumed NICU wasn't really going to be an options in the military but it's nice to know that OR, ER, and ICU are some of the more desirable specialties. Do you know if that's pretty common along all branches? I'm thinking Army but have also looked into Navy.

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

I'm AF, so I'm not really sure. Usually, those 3 are a good bet anywhere (civilian or military).

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