Navy Nurse

Meeshie · Sep 19, 2016

What you want to talk to is known as a medical recruiter or a health recruiter. Yes, you'd be going in as an officer.. but you can get the ball rolling by going into the recruiting office and explaining what you need. You have to be accepted into a BSN program to begin the application process. You have to have a good GPA and it's competitive to get in (3.0 minimum but most applicants are over 3.5) You have to be able to meet the physical requirements, as well. The packet for entry can take a couple of months to complete due to all the requirements.

If you're really serious then go in and talk to someone as soon as you're accepted into a BSN program.. and then see what happens.

elisabethm · Sep 23, 2016

Hi abbyley,

I am actually a Navy RN who joined through the NCP. It's a great program, however, it sounds like NROTC may be a better fit for your needs.

With the NCP, your first step would be to speak with a healthcare recruiter. (DO NOT speak with the standard enlisted recruiter. They have quotas to meet and are notorious for steering people astray.) With the NCP, you would apply as soon as you are accepted into an accredited school of nursing. It is a long application process with a ton of paperwork. Once you are accepted (usually in your junior year of college), you would receive a sign on bonus and then a monthly stipend for the remainder of your time in college. However, the Navy will not pay your full tuition. The stipend likely would not cover full tuition at a university, and you would still need a way to pay for your first few years of school before you are accepted, which is why I think ROTC may be a better fit for you.

ROTC is the reserve officer training corps. Navy, Army, and Air Force all have their own versions. You could almost think of it as a minor (nursing major with minor in military life ). For your entire time in college, you would take an extra class in military sciences. You would also have fequent military training exercises. (I did Army ROTC briefly before applying to the Navy NCP. The trainig there was a biweekly lecture on military science, a weekly lab where we would go out to the field to train for an afternoon, and physical training three times a week in the morning before our regular classes. Additionally, there was a roughly one month long mandatory summer training between your junior and senior years and optional trainings overseas that you could apply to between your sophomore and junior years. I don't know how this differs from NROTC.)

The time commitment while you're in school is much greater for NROTC, but they have full-ride scholarships available (although, of course, these are also competitive to apply to). In addition to any scholarships you recieve, you would also earn a small monthly stipend. It is a huge time commitment while you are in school, but my friends who did it seem to think it was manageable.

Here is the link to the Navy ROTC web page, where you can find more information:

Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Home Page

If you are interested in ROTC, I would recommend checking out the other branches as well. The military is very competitive right now, so definitely keep your options open!

Good luck on your journey to become a nurse & military officer! :)