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

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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.

Specializes in Anesthesia.
Thank you for posting this. I am trying to find more information but can't seem to find the answers LOL...ok - so if you qualify and can meet the requirements and you get in...there are no deployments what so ever? I would love to do this but I do not want to do deployments...I have a one year old son and I want to be with him...that is my biggest commitment and my love...I want to be with him and my Husband.

I'm not sure I would meet the medical requirements anyway b/c I am a diabetic but you never know LOL...I don't know if thats a problem or not.

:smilecoffeeIlovecofAnyway, any information you have would be greatly appreciated, I'm still researching on the website and I appreciate link. :clown:

Here is the link to the USPHS site. http://www.usphs.gov/html/nurse.html

Here their nurse corps homepage http://phs-nurse.org/

USPS does deploy, but is nothing like military deployments. From what I gathered is that deployments range 3-6 weeks and mostly are either humantarian or manning assist deployments. The deployments are almost exclusively in the U.S.

I know that someone mentioned the VA, but my experience with doing manning assist at the VA is it is one of the worst places to work! The VA has some of the greatest nurses/providers/staff there are, but they are far outnumbered by the worst providers/nurses/staff that I have ever seen. Maybe, it is was just the VA facility I was at...

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Specializes in High-risk OB, Labor & Delivery.

i am just starting to explore possibilities with the army and, like another post on here (the concerned dad, mark), i do find that there is a lot of elusiveness...but it could just be that haven't done enough thorough research on the subject or the information that i am looking for really isn't easily available to the public.

so bottom-line, billion dollar question: will i really be on the front lines here? am i going to actually be on the battle field or in a hospital?

and: what/where are these "leading medical facilities in eight countries on five continents"? my little rotc info booklet claims that "in the army nurse corps, nurses gain experience working at leading medical facilities in eight countries on five continents". seriously, this is ambiguous. where will i be going? someone tell me what countries they are referring to!

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You won't be patrolling the streets of Baghdad. That is not a nurse function. You may be at a hospital in Iraq and have to treat the troops who do go outside the wire. Will you be out of danger in the hospital. No. But I have not heard of medical facilities being hit. There may have been, but I haven't heard yet. I also do not think any MDs or RNs have been killed in action either. Correct me if I am wrong. But you will not be in this environment for 20 years straight.

With regards to the "8 countries and 5 continents" I can't say. The list of current medical facilities only lists Germany, Korea, Japan and Honduras as other countries. I guess if you include the US then there are 5 countries. They may loosely consider Hawaii and Alaska as "countries" since they are not considered "state-side" assignments. It sounds like marketing-ese.

It is hard to say where you will go. That all depends on the needs of the Army at the time and what you but down on your "dream sheet" (list of 3 places you want to go). There ARE some outstanding medical facilities in the Army. I have heard of a recent RN that was sent to Hawaii for her 1st assignment.

Keep looking. "The answers are out there."

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Specializes in Postpartum, Antepartum, Psych., SDS, OR.

I am a new grad. wanting to work for the VA. I would appreciate any suggestions, pointers, and what to expect.

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Since I've been researching all branches for myself, let me see if I can help (though answer may not be perfect!).

Army -You have to have a BSN for Active Duty, BUT they will allow you to join the Reserves w/ an ASN/ADN & pay you a monthly stipend to go to BSN school (plus GI bill) while in the Reserves. During this time, though you'd be in Reserves, you are nondeployable in "student status" until you're finished w/ your BSN. After you're done, you can stay in the Reserves or join Active Duty...both w/ a minimum obligation.

Navy -You can have just your ASN/ADN on entry, but they want you to get your BSN. I had conflicting info here, as one recruiter told me you will be working Full Time while at the same time aquiring your BSN (which takes time), & the other info I got was the same as the Army, in that you will just be focusing on your BSN program the whole time & then will go into working full time after that. They will pay you for your BSN schooling.

Air Force -You can't join until you have your BSN, period. They will, however, reimburse you for your school loan once you're finished & then you can join the A.F. Be sure to send your application to be processed about 10 months before you plan to join, I was told by the recruiter.

You must have a GPA above 3.0 for all of these, I believe. Also, you must work your way up from there. I hope this helped!!!:nurse:

I was wondering if the 3.0 GPA is true. My recruiter never said anything about this. I have less than that but will have my BSN. I am planning to join the Army... hope I still can!!!

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I was wondering if the 3.0 GPA is true. My recruiter never said anything about this. I have less than that but will have my BSN. I am planning to join the Army... hope I still can!!!

You're not getting into any branch of service as a nurse without a BSN.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
You're not getting into any branch of service as a nurse without a BSN.

The Army will take nurses with their ADNs, but it is in either the guard or reserve not active duty.

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
I was wondering if the 3.0 GPA is true. My recruiter never said anything about this. I have less than that but will have my BSN. I am planning to join the Army... hope I still can!!!

Hello,

I say give it a try! There is a possibility to request a waiver for the GPA and the entire application packet is considered.

My own packet was denied at two boards! We tried for a third and it was accepted.

Months later I learned that my department coordinator had inadvertantly made one of my coursegrades into a "F" versus an R for incomplete. Yup, unbeknownst to me I had a third board review with an F in my current courses and the Army decided to take me. So, even though the grade is fixed, (happily it is an A) the Army took me already.

You cannot know until you try and I suggest to keep trying if unsuccessful at first. It took three boards and about 5-6 months for my packet to get picked up.

If you do not give it your best shot, or even A shot, then you will have regrets in the future about "what if?"

Good luck!

Gen

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i will be starting my first clinical this fall and i chose the section at the VA hospital here in fort wayne, IN. my advisor said that the students that had gone there before had had really great experiences.

any advice or info on what to expect? i'm really excited but also kinda of nervous :chair:

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Specializes in Postpartum, Antepartum, Psych., SDS, OR.

Wow, getting to choose such a great hospital for clinical is fantastic!!

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I'm thinking of accepting a position at the local VA hospital in their Specialty Clinic area. I just graduated with a ASSN this past May. I have been working in the OR as a nurse tech at a local hospital. Now, this opportunity has just presented itself and I'm definitely enticed by the benefits package and wage, especially compensation for when I recieve my BSN.

However, I know that there are pros and cons to any situation and I'm looking for that from some more experienced people out there. Can any of you help?

Thanks in advance. gabbyinks

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Wow . reading that comment about Air Force Nurses /mil nurses barely touching paitents.. etc is shocking... after finishing nursing school.. an accelerated one year BSN program, I will be entering the Armys Nursing corp... I can hardly wait as know the challenges will be great... not only to become the best nurse I can, but to excell as an officer, leader and soldier.... I know that many people will depend on me , from the troops I care for, to their ffamilies back home, ... its a huge challenge that I am willing to take on.. and at 42 believe me it certainly isnt an easy one... but it is one I gladly will take on... since these brave men and women have gone before me to protect mine and all of ours freedom....

Everyone in the nursing profession should consider giving some time to their local VA/ or military base... even if its to volunteer... or look into what they have to offer in the way of a career... When I went to speak to the Health care recruiter I was amazed at what the Army had to offer... they are paying for EVERYTHING !!!!! I didnt go there looking for money for school... but when I left I found out just how much I was needed.... And In the civilian world I work with a lot of people that dont really want to work and dont take their jobs seriously... I have been told " oh , you will be sent to Iraq.... " well great... At least , there, people will take paitent care seriously there !!!

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