military service with a history of asthma

[aghhggh]

I was wondering if anyone had any advice or guidance for me? I'm a twenty-nine year old RN entering the final semester of an RN to BSN program. My goal after getting my BSN was to try to enlist in either the Air Force or the Army Reserves. The recruiters I spoke to previously told me to come back and talk when I was close to the end of my degree -- well, the end is in sight finally, and so I contacted my local Air Force recruiter by phone and had a longer talk this time.

The thing is, I was treated for allergen-induced asthma as a teenager (I was 14, a year too old for it to be considered childhood asthma, from what I understand). I still keep an inhaler around the house "just in case", but I haven't needed it in years. In the past I had been lead to believe that there were ways to get around this and still serve. But the recruiter I just talked to told me there was no way, that any history of asthma would be uncovered when they looked at my medical records and disqualify me. (I'm actually not sure that this is true -- my current provider has never treated me for asthma, & the last doctor who treated me for asthma lost all my records when the office was restructured.)

Does anybody have any experience with this -- serving in spite of a medical history? I'm just feeling so lost right now, this has been my goal for such a long time and I don't know what to do. If there really is no chance for me, does anyone know of any alternatives to the military?

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Asthma diagnosed and treated after age 13 is a disqualifying condition. With the plethora of nurses trying to get into the military, it will be more difficult to obtain waivers -- the military can afford to be picky. I wouldn't advise anyone to lie about medical history -- very risky.

As an alternative, you could try to get a job as a civilian working for the military -- there are tons of civilian RNs who work in military hospitals. Those jobs are posted on USAjobs.gov; however, they typically require a year of experience. There are some exceptions, though. Wouldn't hurt to look. Good luck!

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

I went into the service with a history of asthma after my 13th birthday. It was just a few months after I turned 13 that I was treated for my final asthma attack, which of course qualified as "adult" asthma.

I applied, was disqualified due to my history, and told that my only way to get in was a remedial process through DODMeRB (DOD Medical Review Board). I passed remedials (basically a doctor's appointment and a breathing test) and was given a waiver.

It is important to note that this was back in 2008. The DOD was hungry for soldiers back then, particularly nurses. Nowadays, they are overloaded with LTs and looking to cut. It isn't impossible to get in, but it is extremely difficult. I second Lunah's post entirely and also strongly warn against lying to them about your history.