Navy Nursing Corps.

ellebelle21 · Oct 16, 2017

Hello, I applied for FY 2019 of the Navy Nurse Candidate Program. From what I have learned, Nurses in the Navy can deploy on the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy. They do not typically get deployed on other ships because they do not have many RNs on those ships. Otherwise, they can be deployed in field hospitals. I'm not sure how often they get deployed, but if your contract is 5 years I believe you have a decent chance of deployment. ICU nurses have a greater chance of deployment.

If you are looking to join the NCP is a great route! Currently waiting to hear back if I am accepted or not :)

Chuckleface, BSN, RN · Oct 16, 2017

Hey Ellebelle,

Thanks for the info. Seems to be very few Navy nurses on this forum.

If you don't mind I have some more questions concerning the NCP.

1. Is it difficult to get accepted? (Best of luck to you btw. )

2. Are there any academic requirements? (4.0 GPA or something like that?)

3. Is it true that once you are accepted there are no obligations until you graduate?

I hope you're accepted! Good luck. :)

ellebelle21 · Oct 16, 2017

Since you haven't begun college yet, you could start applying for NCP the spring of your freshman year and there would be 10 spots available. If you don't get accepted, you can apply again the spring of your sophomore year and there will be 65 spots available. I began applying spring of sophomore year and it's my first time applying. If you were to apply freshman year you have to already have acceptance into your BSN program.

Normally about 125-150 apply, but this year had a very low number of applicants - no one knows the exact number but it is less than 100.

And it is true, you don't have to do anything except for do well in school until you graduate:)

The minimum GPA requirement is 3.0, but from what I've heard a low GPA can hurt your chances of getting in. A 3.5 or above is considered competitive for this program.

If you have any more questions feel free to ask!:)

Chuckleface, BSN, RN · Oct 22, 2017

Got another question!

Are there any requirements about what nursing school I go to? Does it have to be accredited by any particular organizations?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Oct 23, 2017

Got another question!
Are there any requirements about what nursing school I go to? Does it have to be accredited by any particular organizations?

This information is readily available on the Navy's website: Requirements

Chuckleface, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2017

Thanks for the link.

Looks like the NCP or the Navy for that matter isn't going to work for me. Thanks anyway. Sorry for taking up your time. :)

I may look into other branches of the military.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Oct 23, 2017

Thanks for the link.
Looks like the NCP or the Navy for that matter isn't going to work for me. Thanks anyway. Sorry for taking up your time. :)
I may look into other branches of the military.

No problem. Why not the Navy, what made you rule them out?

Chuckleface, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2017

From what it looks like on the website of my school, the nursing program there is only accredited by the South Carolina Board of Nursing. (Just scroll down to the bottom Accreditation | Bob Jones University)

I sent an email to my admission counselor and asked if it's accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, or at least accepted by the Secretary of Education. Still waiting to hear back.

Chuckleface, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2017

Just heard back from my admissions counselor. He says the school is working on obtaining the NLNAC accreditation and apparently BJU as an institution is regionally accredited by SACSCOC. I don't think that really matters though.

Anyway, looks like the Navy could still be an option if the school is able to obtain that accreditation. Gonna have to wait and see.

However, out of curiosity, if BJU doesn't obtain the NLNAC accreditation before or while I'm there, is the military an option after graduation? I've been looking into the few different military nursing corps (Army, Navy, and Air Force) and it seems they all require that accreditation. Would a few years of civilian experience make up for getting my BSN from a school that isn't credited by the NLNAC? Or would the military simply not be an option for me?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Oct 23, 2017

I want to say that all of them require either ACEN (formerly NLNAC) or CCNE accreditation. In theory, if you were to continue online for an MSN degree (something non-clinical that would be a little faster) that has the accreditation, that would work. I think the Navy is the only one that specifies CCNE; the others accept ACEN or CCNE. I would think that since your prospective school has regional and state accreditation, it is likely to be successful in seeking ACEN accreditation as well.

Chuckleface, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2017

I think you're right about the ACEN accreditation. Good to know about the MSN option. Hopefully my school will get the ACEN accreditation. I still have to finish my senior year of high school and then after that I'll have one year of pre-requisites before I'll be considered for the Nursing program so there is still time.

Being a former CPT/66T, I would imagine you know quite a bit about nursing in the military. Is there a particular branch that deploys more than the others or provides more medical support overseas? Obviously, I would prefer the Navy, but I am open to the other branches if there are more direct support options overseas.