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.
I am not against moving. Yes money is the driving force. I also don't know that I could swing the type of debt that is incrued going CRNA as a civillian. Also, all of the other benefits that the military offers are incentives for me. As I said above, even an E3 is a step up in pay per month for me after allowances and health insurance cost reduction. So for that kind of advantage, on top of getting through school with no money debt, and a willingness to be open to retiring from the military...basically I have more reasons to join than not to join.
I am not against moving. Yes money is the driving force. I also don't know that I could swing the type of debt that is incrued going CRNA as a civillian. Also, all of the other benefits that the military offers are incentives for me. As I said above, even an E3 is a step up in pay per month for me after allowances and health insurance cost reduction. So for that kind of advantage, on top of getting through school with no money debt, and a willingness to be open to retiring from the military...basically I have more reasons to join than not to join.
My husband was an Army medic. I would seriously caution you against going the enlisted route. You will NOT work as a nurse in the Army if you go that way, and there is no guarantee you'd be in a medical MOS (as the Army is FULL of medics). You are not competitive with a 3.0 GPA for any of the programs in the Army that lead to advanced degrees. You might meet the bare minimum for USAGPAN at 3.0, but you are not competitive, and they generally want to see a 3.5 to consider you for commissioning, which you'd be applying for at the same time as USAGPAN.
To be blunt, people who join the military for the money usually end up miserable. Not always the case, but the majority of the time. I don't think you're reading the pay tables correctly, but my husband was an E-4 and didn't make much each month at all. A brand-new E-3 makes $1823/month before taxes. Throw in another $1200 or so (not taxed, location dependent) for housing and $368 (subsistence), and you're looking at an extra $1600/month, split in two between your mid-month and your end-of-month check. So a paycheck would be $900 untaxed plus $911 (that's before taxes) per month. If you do the math, those are not great wages. And that is assuming you come in as an E-3. You need a Bachelors degree to guarantee an E-4, but your 60 hours of college credit to come in as an E-3 must be related to your MOS. You might come in as an E-1 or E-2 if it is determined your credits don't match your MOS.
I can tell you that going into the military as an older person is not an easy thing, and I am not even talking about PT standards (but if you fall below in that area, they will chapter you out with a quickness - nothing is forgiven in today's Army climate). Just be prepared to give up all personal freedom and the ability to do what you want with your work time or time off. Also be prepared to spend weeks away from your family out in the field, and be prepared to deploy to hostile environments.
But the biggest drawback to this plan is that you will have a large gap in your nursing career. Don't assume that you'd be able to moonlight in your time off - you won't really have time off, and those kinds of activities are permitted only at the discretion of your command. So yes, you could enlist and serve three or four years and come out the other side with a GI Bill, but you will also have lost all that time in your nursing career. Big gamble.
I truly don't mean to be a naysayer, I don't - but the many people I know who have joined with money vs. service as the driving force are miserable. If you want to serve, then go for it.
Another idea is to look into employment with the government or the VA. Both have education benefits and pay well. Positions are posted on usajobs.gov and sometimes you can negotiate a relocation benefit.
Thank you for that information! Good stuff to think about.
So so even if I get my BSN and apply for commissions and get in, there's a hence I won't work as a nurse? And same for as enlisted: if I score for a 68 series job, I still may not work as something healthcare?
(1200+$368)/2 = 784 + 900 = 1684 each paycheck. I currently bring in about 1100. At least that's the math I used for comparison.
If you get a BSN and are selected for commission (and again, you would need to bump the GPA up to even be considered), you would work as a nurse. If you are selected for the 68 series, you will be assigned the MOS but your daily job might bear no resemblance to anything medical. Many of the medics that I deployed with spent their time in garrison working in the motor pool.
Don't assume that being an RN makes you an automatic selection for medic, unless you are already an EMT. As an RN, you do not meet the training requirements for 68W (medic). You would still have to attend and pass basic training (ie, boot camp) and the do your advanced training (MOS-specific) after you graduate from basic. Again, MOS availability depends on the needs of the Army, and the Army is actively downsizing now. Have you spoken with a recruiter?
I have, there is a local healthcare recruiter that gave me a few options. He hasn't relayed much of what you guys have said as far as downsizing/not needing nurses. He mentioned the 68 series "healthcare specialist" as a route for going through the IPAP. He also mentioned the AMEDD enlisted commissioning program, as well as USAGPAN. He mentioned it all being competitive but didn't have the "no chance" undertone that I sense here because of my GPA(I don't mean that derogatorily).
I would be extremely cautious with your recruiter because they tend to tell you what you want to hear. However, if he is a healthcare recruiter (NOT a general recruiter) ask what the GPA requirement is to commission as a nurse. Be straightforward and ask for a minimum. If he doesn't give you one, he's either incompetent or is playing you. I don't mean to come off so rude but I applied for the Air Force NTP last year AND again this year. Yes Army/Navy may be "slightly" different but not by much. Last year the GPA requirement was 3.4, and this year it is a 3.5 minimum. I even talked to my recruiter about it a few weeks ago, he said he had to turn away a couple applicants because their GPA was not high enough...
Thank you for that information! Good stuff to think about.
So so even if I get my BSN and apply for commissions and get in, there's a hence I won't work as a nurse? And same for as enlisted: if I score for a 68 series job, I still may not work as something healthcare?
(1200+$368)/2 = 784 + 900 = 1684 each paycheck. I currently bring in about 1100. At least that's the math I used for comparison.
Pixie is talking about going in as an E-3 medic. You can enlist but it's not guaranteed you'll become a medic. The factor being stressed is that the Army is currently very well manned in the medical department, and even though you can enlist with the dream of working for medical, the Army can place you anywhere they need you, like artillery, refilling gas tanks, kitchen work... where ever they need you... which means for the 4 years you spend trying to get that GI bill benefit you are not practicing any nursing skills professionally, if you don't mind or worry about that risk, go for it, enlist, work hard, get that benefit.
If you graduate from your BSN with a COMPETITIVE GPA and meet all the requirements PT, background, medical etc. then apply for commission, get accepted; you will be a commissioned nursing officer for the Army.
You emphasize heavily on how you want to advance your studies on the government's dime via the Army and every experienced responder is telling you it's extremely competitive right now. Think of how you can stand out, what can you improve and add on to make yourself look like the better candidate vs others that can be younger, more fit, and possibly brighter candidates with a really high GPA and/or those that have years of BSN RN specialty experience. Are you willing to take time and your own resources to become a better candidate? No one is saying you can't, but you have to make it past the basic cut to get to those benefits you keep mentioning.
It seems like you are kind of avoiding the not so favorable scenarios that have been brought up, but still I wish you luck on where you want to go and hope that you reach what you believe is your goal.
Thanks for the input guys. I'm not trying to avoid the unfavorable, rather just talk it through thoroughly. And it seems the more information I get, the more questions I come up with.
So going for any of these programs, with a minimum GPA, but say I have good work performance, good Recs from superiors, obvious civ experience. Those things wouldn't offset the fact that I don't have the 4.0 GPA like the 22yo right out of school?
That depends on what that 22 yr old with a 4.0 has...if they have leadership skills, can balance work and school, good record, good letter of recommendation...then it comes down to GPA. But most people with 4.0 GPAs (no not all, but most) will have more than JUST a good GPA. They'll be role models, leaders, go-getters, hard workers, intelligent, all the positive traits.
So going for any of these programs, with a minimum GPA, but say I have good work performance, good Recs from superiors, obvious civ experience. Those things wouldn't offset the fact that I don't have the 4.0 GPA like the 22yo right out of school?
No. You'll also be competing against older experienced nurses with board certs and higher GPAs. The military seriously uses GPA as a first cut to narrow down the applicant pool, so it's likely no one will even see your letters of recommendation in the first place. I cannot stress enough how important GPA is to the military.
And as I mentioned, despite your recruiter not telling you about it (no surprise), the Army just announced early retirement/early separation boards for certain groups of nurses. Even specialty nurses (ICU/ED) are not exempt. That is how serious they are about downsizing. And if your recruiter makes it sound like enlisting is an easy way to eventually go officer, he/she is yanking your chain.
lselvio
26 Posts
I am not against moving. Yes money is the driving force. I also don't know that I could swing the type of debt that is incrued going CRNA as a civillian. Also, all of the other benefits that the military offers are incentives for me. As I said above, even an E3 is a step up in pay per month for me after allowances and health insurance cost reduction. So for that kind of advantage, on top of getting through school with no money debt, and a willingness to be open to retiring from the military...basically I have more reasons to join than not to join.