Navy NCP and 41 at graduation...

PRICHARILLAisMISSED · Apr 13, 2013

I don't know how it works for Officers, but for enlisteds your prior service time is added to the cut off. You may need a waiver, but it's doable. So if the normal cutoff is 41, but you have 4 years prior service then YOUR cutoff will be 45.

Hope that helps.

LewisGarza · Apr 17, 2013

In your experience have you known of any and or served with anyone that was accepted into the program that close to the cut off? I am 36, have one nursing pre-requisite done, and will be working on the rest non-stop until I can apply to the BSN program (either the LPN/BSN bridge or the straight BSN depending on where I get in). I am prior enlisted Navy, and would love to get back in as a nurse. Just curious if there is even a chance.

Age limits for Nursing is: If you can complete 20 years (theoretical) of service before the age 62. To include prior service etc, for up to 24 months.

PSC Garza,

Medical Officer Recruiter, Central Texas.

HeatherMax · Apr 21, 2013

So it is do-able, but have you know the Navy to accept anyone right at the cutoff? My husband will hit 20 years active duty Sep 2016 (this set of orders will end in June 2017), and I if all goes according to plan I will graduate with my BSN June 2017. I will be 40, IF I pass everything the first time, and get into the BSN program on my first try. I served more than 24 months, but will happily add 2 years to my cutoff.

Have you ever had anyone in their 40's accepted? Give it to me straight.

HeatherMax · Apr 21, 2013

Also.... can I apply as a student even though I am older? I kind of look forward to bootcamp again, even though it will be different this time. I enjoyed it!

Rnaf · Apr 22, 2013

I came in at 42 with 3 years prior service.

HeatherMax · Apr 22, 2013

Rnaf, that makes me surprisingly thrilled to hear! I didn't want to get out of the Navy when I did, (Pregnancy, wanted to make an example of me) the more I think about re-joining the more excited for my future I am. Next stop, chat with a recruiter and have them look over my DD214 and see if I can get back in.

The Tiki · Apr 23, 2013

HeatherMax,

I was 39 when I was selected for the NCP program with no prior medical experience (I am prior enlisted Navy with 5 years) and I am now 40 and heading to ODS in a few months.

sw78 · May 9, 2013

I registered to post in this thread, thanks to all who posted comments.

These comments make me slightly warmer and fuzzier about my chances of being accepted into the NCP. I will be 39-41 (depending on future deployments) when I complete my BSN. I am 34 now and have 11ish years of prior Army service, first in the infantry and now on the intelligence side of the house. I will leave the Army in the spring of 2015. It's time to switch things up a bit, as I get older I'm drawn to medicine but still wish to serve my country in uniform, but in the Navy.

I have a BA in Poli Sci and an AA in Arabic, both with GPAs over 3.3. I am going to begin knocking out my prereqs in Fall 2013 and aim to start nursing school at the University of Utah no later than Fall 2016 (I might get deployed one more time). That would put me graduating with a BSN at age 39.

Even though I have a stellar military record, good grades, am in outstanding physical condition and will do well in school I'm still worried that the NCP reviewers will look at my age and think, "No way, let's spend the Navy's money on someone younger that we can get more time out of." I've also read in other threads while searching for this subject that some reviewers may think that older applicants may have trouble taking orders from superiors that are younger. As an NCO I take orders from junior grade officers that are younger than me all the time and as a professional Soldier I have zero problem doing so.

Well I just wanted to say thanks to HeatherMax for starting this thread and to the others who posted their own experiences of being old farts in the NCP.

Heather, please do keep us posted as to your progress. Good luck!

edited for spelling

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · May 13, 2013

I came back in at 36(!!) to the USAF with six years' prior enlisted time. Your prior service counts toward retirement, regardless of how long it is - so if you have 4 years' prior, you need 16 to retire with full pay and bennies, and you must be able to do that before age 62. So you're fine. Commissioned officer's training, regardless of service, is nothing like basic was - we had a doc come in at age 46 and she was fine.

FirstLady007 · Oct 10, 2013

Hi there! One thing that I'm noticing (as I call different Nurse recruiters) about age waivers. It seems like the information is all over the place. I literally called at least 8 stated just to hear what's being told to potential nurses to be. For me, I'm heading back to college to complete my BSN and will 44 when I start. Out of the 8 NRD's that I call, only 2 said that prior service is waiverable and the other 6 was just basically "blowin smoke or saying that " oh.. You would have to be a prior serviced commissioned officer to be "waived". Being prior service myself, I could tell that was utter rubbish. Anywho, I called the NTD Nashville and the receptionist literally read from her binder that enlisted prior derive is waiverable but subtracted it upon graduation. So she made me feel that great because I was going to give it up. You guys are graduating way before me but I hope that the rules stay the same by my graduation date. Good luck everyone.

Raider 3/1 · Oct 12, 2013

And here I was all worried about trying to get a commission when I turn 31 lol. Sorry you all have been worried about the age waiver. I'm sure its tough when you decide to make the career move when your so close to the cut off age.

Best of luck to everyone!