Navy Nurse

Silverdragon102, BSN · May 30, 2012

Moved to the government and military forum

jeckrn, BSN, RN · Jun 1, 2012

i am a registered nurse with a bsn and two years of nursing experience. i am interested in becoming a navy nurse. i talked to a medical recruiter today and he said that since i already have a bsn i just have to do ods. can someone please enlighten me about ods? here are some of the questions i have:
-what does the training consist of? basic military knowledge, naval customs, physical training, etc.
-what level of physical fitness is required? need to be within body weight/body fat standards, moderate physical fitness- will need to pass a prt which when i was with the navy was push ups, curl ups, 1.5 mile run. not sure if it has changed any.
-how long does training last? i believe 6-8 weeks, a navy nurse will be better able to answer the question.
-where does one get sent after completing training? from other posters you will go to one of the big 3. san diego, portsmith, bethesda/walter reed. since you do have experience and what others have stated you might not have to go to one of those 3 but to another naval hospital somewhere in the states
-how often are ods sessions started? not sure
-how competitive is ods, specifically in regards to the navy nurse corps? not sure
sorry i couldn't find the military nursing thread.

sorry i could not answer your questions more but i was prior navy enlisted and now a army nurse corp officer. a navy nurse will be able to give more detailed answers your questions/

utamaverick · Jun 1, 2012

hello,

most of the information can be found here:

officer training command, home of navy ocs - ods - program overview

1. training consists of daily pt:

[color=#525252]while at ods you will complete three prt's (an in prt, mid prt, and out prt). physical training will include two to three days of strength and conditioning exercises to include, pushups, sit-ups, and various other exercises. students will run three to four days per week. for the first two weeks students will run approximately 1.5 miles each run day. during week three and part of week four students will run approximately three miles each run day. during the remainder of week four and all of week five students will run four miles each run day.

2. i would be prepared to be in good enough shape to do daily cardio workouts and some upper body strength. i was told by my mentor if you are athletic and active, you will be fine at ods.

3. 5 weeks

4. you should receive your orders before ods, you will be given the location of your 1st duty station and move your personal goods before you leave.

5. typically there is one ods session per month:

officer development school (ods)

6. at ods there really shouldn't be competition to "vie" for a spot in the nnc because you are already newly commissioned officer before going to ods. ods provides you the training you need to operate as an officer in the navy. this is different from officer candidate school.

MissNurse2B · Jun 19, 2012

I am currently in a nursing program for my BSN and will graduate next May of 2013 from a very expensive and private institution. Recently I have been thinking more about joining the Navy after I graduate. It would be an awesome experience because it would be fun to travel to a naval base in San Diego, Maryland, or Virginia. Also, I have heard that the navy helps repay student loan debt. Can someone explain to me how much the Navy helps with student loans if I were to apply after I grad, and also what the income is for a navy nurse. What are the benefits of becoming a navy nurse as opposed to becoming a civilian RN? Would love to hear your insight, thanks!

CaitsMommy · Jun 25, 2012

ODS is 5 weeks. PT requirements depend on your age and whether you are male or female. There is a minimum requirement for a 1.5 mile run, push ups, and sit ups. I found this site to be very helpful as a guide to train: US Navy Physical Fitness Test Standards. As far as student loan repayment, all that information can be found on the navy nurse corps website. There are different options but it depends on what the needs of the navy are at the time. For me, I feel the benefits of being a navy nurse outweigh civilian nursing but it very much depends on what you are seeking. I want to serve my country and have always wanted to do so. I will do both, as there is a waiting list for active duty nursing right now.