Navy Nursing

M3olatomiwa · Sep 24, 2006

I am also interested in being apart of the Navy Nurse Corps.. I also went to the Navy website awhile ago..But it didn't help..I did a little YAHOOIN', and I found something I don't know if its useful, I thought it should be because it the talks about the Navy Nurse

https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/nursingoption.cfm

warmrain · Sep 24, 2006

Thanks for the web site info. I haven't had much luck myself with getting info. I am waiting to hear back from a recruiter. Good luck yourself! If I find anything I'll post it too.

Marcie

htrn · Sep 24, 2006

I had to reply to this thread. My hubby and I were both in the Navy, but long before I became a nurse. I cannot speak to the professional opportunities in the Navy Nurse Corps specificially, but I can tell you that the Navy is a wonderful career. After getting my BSN I even looked at going back into the Navy - but was unfortunately unable due to health reasons.

The Navy is what you make of it, but we made the best friends we will ever have while we were in the Navy. We have many woderful memories and remember those years fondly. I wish you luck and - fair winds and following seas..... (I'm so jealous that you have the opportunity that I don't)

warmrain · Sep 24, 2006

thanks obrnheather. your right, all of life is what you make of it. i am glad to hear good points on the navy. if you don't mind me asking what was base life like? was the housing allowance enough for rent/mortgage or is the base housing decent? the recruiter wasn't very clear on how the housing and food allowances worked.

DanznRN, RN · Sep 24, 2006

Warmrain-

Indeed, the Navy is a great career for nurses. However, regarding your question about continuing education. You have some very sepcific goals that you want to attain. The Navy might be what you are looking for few reasons. One, we have no SANE examiners per se. This is not an area that the Navy devotes to one person. We do have SART (Sexual Assualt Respones Teams) but those are limited more to the larger hospitals. Although sexual assualt does occur in the military it is not with the prevelance that we need one person to handle the cases. You can join the team and be on call, but again it is not a stand-alone job. Two, the Navy does have continuing education in the form on epidemiology through a program we call DUINS. This is where you send a package in and compete against other Navy nurese for a spot. Unfortunately, the Navy currently only selects one Navy nurse a year for this and it is under a community health background. So this would be a hit or miss deal and not be what you are looking for. If you have more questions, please let me know. I'm not trying to be discouraging, I just want you to know what we have. I have been active duty since 1997 and this is my experience with this.

LT Dan

htrn · Sep 24, 2006

Hi Marcie,

I have to insert a disclaimer here about my Navy experience - I got out in 1994 and hubby got out in 1996. Any information I have is several years old. The other thing is that we were both enlisted, as a navy nurse you will be an officer and the rules are a bit different for o-gangers than the enlisted.

You asked about housing and housing allowance. We were stationed in Pearl Harbor, one of the most expensive places to live in the country. We chose to live on base because of a quirk in the rules that applies to couples that are both in the Navy - I could go into details in a PM if you want to know, but I would imagine rules have changed since then anyway. The Navy does give a Basic Housing Allowance (BHA) and then in some more expensive parts of the world, a variable housing allowance (VHA) to help make up the difference in high rent areas. For most people it is enough to get a decent apartment or small home. We know folks that chose to buy a home in Hawaii many years ago that made money hand over fist when it came time to sell - but that's not for everyone - and they did it with their housing allowance. BTW, housing allowance is tax free, it's an allowance, not income :wink2: .

Base housing all depends on the base. If you are a single officer, you will have two choice 1) the BOQ (Basic Officer Quarters) which is proably more like a very small apt or hotel room with a refer and microwave or 2) take your BHA etc... and rent a place on the town. If you are married then you may have the option of living in base housing. We had everything from beach front cottages, nice apartments or what we fondly referred to as 'flinstone' housing (flat roofs, small, etc). The nice thing about housing is that we had a washer, drier, dishwasher and access to free use of all sorts of lawn equipment to borrow for free. If anything broke, we just called housing and they came out and fixed it. Bad part was it was like living in a community with 'covenants' on sterioids. Lawn couldn't get long, could only have so many pets, could only paint certain colors, etc... Not very private, but then again, our neighbors really were our family.

I would get very specific information from the nurse recruiter and then GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING!!!!!! Remember everything that you get to do in the Navy is based on the needs of the Navy, not necessarily what you want. It's wonderful when what you want meets those needs though.

As far as becoming a SANE nurse: Sexual Assault happens everywhere. I would hate to speak for what the military is like today, but I know you watch the news like everyone else and where there is smoke, there is at least a little spark if not a fire. I think having a SANE nurse available at every base clinic should be mandatory, no matter how big or small the base is.

The sexual politics, harrassment and abuse are a reality. Is the military getting better about dealing with it - yes, is the problem solved - no. Is it just a military problem - no, it is a problem everywhere in the world. I will just add that when I go for my annual physical with the VA, one of the standard questions on the admission form is something to the effect of was I ever raped or the victim of unwanted sexual advances. I don't know many female vets that did not have to deal with some sort of sexual misconduct whether it was sexual harrassment to flat out rape - we all delt with it at some level.

Please don't let what I have told you discourage you from the Navy, I would do it all again if I had the chance. You may want to consider looking into the Air Force programs as well.

Good luck, Heather

warmrain · Sep 24, 2006

Heather thanks for the great info! The more I know the better I can make an educated decision on what I am going to do, so everything helps!

Marcie

warmrain · Sep 24, 2006

LT Dan, Thanks for the information concerning SANE and the continuing education. The more I know about what I would be up against the better off I'll be prior to making a decision. I do have a few questions though. If I applied for the DUINS program and did not get in, is it possible to apply again the following year? Also, if you don't mind me asking, what do you like and/or dislike about being an RN in the Navy? Besides my career goals I want to do something to help those fighting in the war and so this is another reason I am looking at military service.

DanznRN, RN · Sep 28, 2006

Warmrain-

As far as DUINS, yes, you can apply several years in a row if you don't get in on the first try.

Now, what do I LIKE about the Navy:

1. No matter what I get a paycheck every 14-15 days. As long as I'm breathing, I get paid.

2. While I'm getting paid I earn 2.5 days of "vacation" (leave) every month, translates into 30 days off a year. So you basically work 11months, oh. but we generally do 14-15shifts a month, so you actually work 6 months a year, did I mention how well we get paid.

3. I like making sure our country is safe for my kids when they get my age, sound bleeding-heart patriotic, but it's the truth.

4. I feel like I belong to a bigger organization than say you local hospital. There is a great sense of togetherness in the military in general. I go to school with people from the other 3 services and we all can relate.

5. No matter what happens to me or my family the Navy will fix it, medically that is. Best thing is NO bills from it.

6. Pay me to move all over the country and see neew things and outside of the country for that matter. We just got back from being stationed in Italy for 3 years, priceless experience.

I could go on, but you get the picture.

What I DO NOT LIKE about the Navy:

1. Potential to be away from my family, again I said potential. I have been in the Navy 10 years and have never been deployed. Probably will soon, but not until after school.

2. Don't always get what I want. I wanted to work in the ED one time and had to go to the ICU. I hated it when it happened, but it benefited me in the long run.

There are other things, but it would be just the same as you would deal with working in the civilian world. Things like not liking your boss or not getting a particular position you thought you deserved. Stuff like that you will have in the Navy and civilian world, so just a general gripe not Navy specific. If you want more, let me know.

LT Dan

warmrain · Sep 29, 2006

Thanks LT Dan. Your reply is what I wanted to know about Navy Nursing and is much appreciated.

Marcie

navygirl · Oct 6, 2006

Hi, I'm an new nurse and Ensign in the Navy Nurse Corps. If you have specific questions, feel free to write me as well. As LT said, there are advantages and disadvantages of Navy life, but overall, I feel that nursing in the Navy is much better than civilian nursing. Also, the camaraderie you will have with your corpsmen and fellow nurses can't be beat. Feel free to email me back.