Military

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Specializes in Cardiac, CVICU.

Sorry, new to the forums and was not able to find where this should go.

I currently hold an associates in nursing and have worked as RN, mostly in critical care/cath lab for 9 years. I recently became interested in joining the military and am overwhelmed with all of the information that can be absorbed and am lost as to what route I should take. Ultimately I would like to be either ARNP, PA, or CRNA. My ASN grades will make it very difficult to be CRNA, so I have almost resigned myself to ARNP or PA. I work with a PA who said that the way I think would make me a very good PA, that I don't think like a nurse. So that brings us to PA. I have read a ton of information about the IPAP program, have even talked to an AMEDD recruiter about it. But I am confused/torn about which way to go.

Get my BSN, commission, work as a nurse for the 3 year requirement and then apply for IPAP.

Go in as a medic, face the risks involved with that, work for 3 years (possibly try for flight medic after a year) and apply to IPAP.

I am about 1.5 years away from completeing my BSN as a side note.

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Military is a terrible way to go right now. All branches especially the Army are very full and cuts are coming from everywhere. It doesn't matter if you or ICU or ED, they just don't need as many bodies.

Maybe in 2008 I would encourage you but not now.

IPAP is no joke and very competitive, if your ADN grads suck I wouldn't even bother applying for IPAP. Most people who get in are either experienced medics or 4.0 studs. PA school is extremely compeititve anywhere you go not just IPAP, do some more research because right now you are waaaaay off the mark.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Moved to military/government nursingnursing

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Specializes in Cardiac, CVICU.

Thanks for that info.

What at about finishing BSN, and using time both to get military experience and to increase GPA and then trying for USAGPAN? I know you recommend against military, but benefits and pay are horrid as a civilian too, and even going in as an E-3 nets me +$257/month after accounting for BAS/BAH compared to icu nurse with 10 years exp.

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Thanks for that info.

What at about finishing BSN, and using time both to get military experience and to increase GPA and then trying for USAGPAN? I know you recommend against military, but benefits and pay are horrid as a civilian too, and even going in as an E-3 nets me +$257/month after accounting for BAS/BAH compared to icu nurse with 10 years exp.

I mean where there is a will there is a way but I think you will hate life as an E-3 medic. Working below your skill level and with a majority 18-22 year olds in a authoritarian evvironment is not fun.

If you are dead set, go get your BSN and pump your GPA then try again in a better recruiting climate.

Man where do you work, with a few years exp and night diff I net 70K+ a year without OT....

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Specializes in Cardiac, CVICU.
I mean where there is a will there is a way but I think you will hate life as an E-3 medic. Working below your skill level and with a majority 18-22 year olds in a authoritarian evvironment is not fun.

If you are dead set, go get your BSN and pump your GPA then try again in a better recruiting climate.

Man where do you work, with a few years exp and night diff I net 70K+ a year without OT....

I am in Pensacola, Florida, all of last year I did 4 12's per week, evey week, and pulled in around 50k, my hourly rate right now is 26.95, and I am paying ~500/month for health insurance for my family.

I learned of a program this morning from a friend called something like "AMEDD enlisted to commissioned officer program" that pays 9k or less for a BSN, then requires a 3 year svc requirement. Would doing something like this and working on my GPA while workingout my three years and then applying for the GPAN program be an option? Or is the military going to balk at also paying for CRNA if they paid for my BSN as well?

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
I am in Pensacola, Florida, all of last year I did 4 12's per week, evey week, and pulled in around 50k, my hourly rate right now is 26.95, and I am paying ~500/month for health insurance for my family.

I learned of a program this morning from a friend called something like "AMEDD enlisted to commissioned officer program" that pays 9k or less for a BSN, then requires a 3 year svc requirement. Would doing something like this and working on my GPA while workingout my three years and then applying for the GPAN program be an option? Or is the military going to balk at also paying for CRNA if they paid for my BSN as well?

AECP (Army enlisted commissioning program) is also very competitive and requires a high GPA. GPA is serious business to the military. What is your GPA? Maybe it's not as bad as you think. But you have to have some time in the Army as an enlisted soldier before you could even apply for AECP. But the bigger issue: the Army just announced early separation boards for active duty captains from certain year groups. They are actively downsizing now. Your best bet is to get your BSN and see where the recruiting climate is at that time. Right now the Army does not need nurses. They will even potentially be cutting critical care and ER nurses with these upcoming boards.

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Specializes in Cardiac, CVICU.

Currently my cuGPA is 2.63 with a science GPA of 2.48. The last couple classes I have taken (being all grown up now) I have received an A, so getting all A's in my BSN would get me a cuGPA OF 3.0, and then like 4 more sciences would get me a science of 3.0. So was planning on using my service and recommendations with my civ RN experience for either USAGPAN or IPAP.

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Not sure how it works in Florida, but in California, students who earned a low grade in classes can retake them (with limitations) to raise their GPA, you might want to redo some of the science classes you have low grades in, also all the ADN to BSN transfer programs here require no less than a 3.0 in all science curriculum to apply for consideration, some schools won't even let students with lower than a 3.2 overall GPA apply ( once again not sure how Florida works).

Side note, I noticed most nurses on this forum who are currently applying for commission have at least a 3.5 GPA. Assess your options, if you believe you can handle the changes needed it's not impossible.

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I'll throw in just a few things here to keep in mind. For the Air Force, to even apply to be a nurse they require a 3.5 GPA minimum and a Bachelor's degree. They are not taking very many nurses as it is, and we won't know what the future will look like. The Army isn't even taking new nurses, only experienced and not many at that. What I mean by experienced is nurses WITH their bachelor's AND working experience as an RN. I'm honestly not sure if they would count your RN experience with an associates. I assume they would be able to use it as long as you're an RN, not an LPN. In which case your GPA isn't "as" big a deal but it is still a factor they will use to compare you

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Specializes in Cardiac, CVICU.

Thanks for the info.

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

It sounds to me like money is the only thing driving this change. That's not an ideal reason to join the military, especially when military budgets are strained. Why not move to an area with a higher pay rate for RNs? There are all kinds of websites that compare those sorts of things with cost of living adjustments. If you don't like moving, you're really going to hate life in the military. There are places were new grad RNs make $40+ per hour.

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