Military/VA RN's - Please post experiences for Students

guitarhero · Nov 4, 2009

I would like to help our student nurses recognize the value of entering into military service or working for the VA system. To do this, I would ask all of our members that are military or VA employed to lend your experience here. Please take a moment to post information for our students that you might think is helpful for them.
Would love to see information about dealing with recruiters (military ... that is) and how to effectively negotiate with them. Would like to see information posted about experiences that you have and any recommendations you have about entering military nursing or the VA system. THe VA can be a difficult place to navigate and any information on how to get into the VA would be helpful also.
We have many students that monitor this thread and I think this information would be very helpful to them.
Also, for the students reading this thread, please feel free to add your questions. We have many experienced military and VA nurses that view this thread and I am sure they are willing to help answer your questions.
I will make the thread a sticky in the hopes that it does become popular. Thanks for your help.

Hi there, I am a new RN grad. I was looking for VA hospitals. Most of the requirements were "applicant should be an US citizen". I am on student VISA. and at the mean time I'm applying for RESERVE thru MAVNI. Please suggest me something.

FrogKissingNurse · Nov 28, 2009

I'm considering joining the military as a nurse commissioned officer. I just don't know which branch suits me best. Any pros and cons for each branch of service would be very helpful

jollyasalways · Nov 29, 2009

Thank you all for posting the information on this thread. It has been helpful. Your experiences are invaluable.

After nearly a year of researching posts like this, talking to my recruiter, talking to other civilian nurses and military nurses, I haven't found much to dissuade from the military. If you are willing to travel, want to advance your clinical skills and education consistently and are okay with deployments, you will be happy in the military. Is that a fair statement?

I am a BSN student and am finishing my application process for the Navy Nurse Candidate Program (1 more year of schooling).

This is the moment of decision, and I'm having minor cold feet. So, I'm trying to gather every last bit of info and reconfirm the old.

#1) Will I go in as an 0-1 paygrade without prior experience in the military?

#2) I also have a doctorate and previous Bachelors from a different health care field. My recruiter said this could get me in at a higher officer level. Any experience with that?

#3) Work hours - I've heard anywhere from 40 to 80 hours a week. Some of the interviews said I could expect 60 hrs on a regular basis. My direction will be toward Labor and Delivery. Can anyone share their specific work hours experience?

#4) I have a dog. A very special dog (aren't they all?). I don't want to neglect her at home. Aside from hiring a dogwalker to take her out on potty walks with my 12 hr schedule, any ideas on quality of life for me and my pup if I join the Navy?

Thanks for any info.

Be well.

jamiejammer1RN · Apr 23, 2010

This is my very first post. Hello to all. I retired from the Army 3 yrs ago. The Army nurse Corp is all about leadership and staff development opportunities. I have had a variety of experieces in the service, that I might not have had as a civ nurse. I am in my mid 40's and retired. I will get my retirement pay until I die. There is no other organization that I know of that allows a nurse to retire with pay and benefits after a minimum of 20 yrs of service.
I was prior service before becoming an officer, meaning I served as an enlisted person too. I worked very hard and had many challenges. It was all worth it. Active duty nurse must have a BSN. Reservist can have a ADN. Someone earlier posted a false picture of military nursing. The idea that military nurses don't work hard is an absolute untruth. There is a shortage of nurses in the military too. Military nurses always have several jobs, their primary specialty and "additional duties"----There were many days I felt overworked and under paid. I felt fustrated with staffing shortages and administration. I believe that every nurse has these types of feelings during her career at some point and time. I also had great times, when I felt that I made a difference. The nurse physician relationship is different in the military. The rank structure provides checks and balances. A nurse might out rank the physician, so even though he is the physician, he or she is expected to respect the rank and position of the nurse.
I had clinical,administrative and staff development roles. I've lived in several states in the US and I served in Germany and Korea. Initially the pay is lower for, but at the end of the day the pay and benefits package far exceeds the civ sector. when you get promotions and yrs accumulate, plus cost of living pay,plus money for having dependants, plus money for housing plus money for food (tax free) =you do the math.
Nursing is hard work====but there is a light at the end of the tunnel if you choose a career as a military nurse. It's not for everybody, but I encourage students to explore the option. You may not want to make it a career. Some choose to do a few years and get out. The experience is challenging, but for sure you will depart as a nurse leader----

A lot of the replies on here are geared toward new grads and nursing school students, and for those wanting to go into nursing....

For a seasoned critical care nurse, what would it be like entering in any of the service branches?

Is prior experience rewarded like in the civ. ladder?

I have worked in Trauma Intensive Care and prior to that I worked in CVICU and CCU. I also maintain a PRN job in CICU at a specialty hospital for open hearts. Do they base your assignment on the specialties you are working in or have worked in? Do they give any incentives for maintaining your credentials such as CCRN and TNCC?

In critical care is 2:1 ratio maintained as far as a regularly staffed ICU?

How long are typical deployments?

Can you volunteer to deploy?

I have spoke with in depth over the last 1.5 years with my health care recruiter and have became sort of friends, but there still seems to be loose ends and questions I cant think to ask when we talk... and I always tell myself with most of the things he says first and foremost he is a recruiter and I would really like a real nurse actively doing this to talk with me and answer my questions.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

you can email me a [email protected]

Thanks,

Jamie

Cbishop3 · Sep 18, 2010

I looked into the marines and they don't have nursing. The marines would have been awesome to do because it's challenging and sounds exciting. I'm finishing my last semester to be an RN and will probably join an ROTC program for my bachelors. The marines is ground war. No medics or nurses. They are in close ties with the navy.

Cbishop3 · Sep 18, 2010

Well i've done my homework and the Pro i've found is that the Army has a army nurse corps. The army has the most open options in the military. I wanted to join the Marines but they don't have any health fields available. I'd feel like i'd be wasting my degree and forgetting everything i've learned in the four years + of the marines if I enlisted.

Cbishop3 · Sep 18, 2010

Here is some information you may want if you are interested.
http://www.goarmy.com/amedd/nurse/corps_specialties_requir.jsp
It list the requirements and age.
If anyone has any questions, I was active duty enlisted and am currently am and active duty CRNA.
As far as the question about experience, you will have more than you will ever know. You will be far ahead of your peers (no matter if you go Army, Navy, Air Force)... I speak from experience. In order to advance, you will be required to continually improve your clinical and academic standing through the various programs offered through the armed forces for nurses (ER course, ICU course, OB course, etc -- paid master's and advanced practice programs, etc). I have to disagree with the poster concerning lack of patient acuity in the armed forces, I believe that person is misinformed (and quite possibly mentally ill since he or she has no idea of what they speak----referring to the posted quote referenced by caffeinism in the above post. Sorry you read that horrible post caffeine). Our medical centers and information on them can be found on the web. You will work 40 (on a good week) up to 80 hours a week in some cases. We take care of soldiers, dependents, retirees, and reserve troops daily, the "slacker" comment was very unprofessional and misinformed.
Brooke Army Medical Center
Walter Reed Medical Center
Tripler
Eisenhower
William Beaumont (to name a few)
On the same token, excellent training and experience comes with the strong possibility that you will deploy in support of the Global War on Terror (with that there is no better experience IN THE WORLD). I truly love the Army, my pay for my specialty is lower than my civilian counterparts, but my practice is more autonomous.
Good Luck,
Mike
Additionally, the army paid for all my education.

Great advice. I am actually planning on definitely going into the military. I need two more years for my bachelors but i'd love to see other countries. I wouldn't even mind going into warzone's, in fact that's what I hope to get my experience in. I plan on doing the Rotc program in a college near by. Any tips for me in the long run?

allnurses Guide · Sep 18, 2010

I looked into the marines and they don't have nursing. The marines would have been awesome to do because it's challenging and sounds exciting. I'm finishing my last semester to be an RN and will probably join an ROTC program for my bachelors. The marines is ground war. No medics or nurses. They are in close ties with the navy.

FYI: The Marines are a branch of the Navy, so if you want to work with Marines join the Navy.

SFC JIMENEZ · Nov 30, 2010

Hello,

As you can tell my name is SFC Jimenez and I am an AMEDD Recruiter for the US Army Reserves. If I could be of assistance to anyone on here looking to join I would be more than happy to assist you. Id like to thank all of you for taking on a career that helps so many people in so many ways. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving Holiday weekend : )

2Nurture1 · Jan 11, 2011

Hi SFC Jimenez, what exactly is the process for joining AMEDD? I am currently going into my last semester of nursing school and am wondering of the steps I should be taking. Any info would be greatly appreciated......

HT2SW · Feb 2, 2011

The navy has a "green side" which provides all of the medical coverage for the marines in the field, they train with marines, live with the marines, eat with the marines, and if necessary die with the marines. For all practical purposes they are marines.

SFC JIMENEZ · Feb 2, 2011

2Nurture,

You will have to contact your AMEDD Health Care Recruiter. They will ask you some questions to qualify you and then set up a physical. Meantime they could have you fill out some paperwork. The process takes an avg. time of 3 months but can be done sooner if the applicant doesnt lag and gives all proper documentation needed. Where do you live (city/state)?

wtb, FYI the Marines are not a branch of the Navy (not for many many many years), they are their own entity.