Navy Reserve Nursing

Specialties Government

Published

Hello to all out there in the all nurses community. As suggested by my login I am a Navy Nursing Program Manager. What that means is that I function at a HQ level - above the recruiters and below the board. I decided to get on here because I am noticing there are so many answers and discussions regarding military nursing, and they can tend to be very confusing when multiple people answer and confuse the branch, desired affiliation, and actual question. I am on here to try and help out both my recruiters and my potential peers. My goal is to try and check this at least one a week on Monday nights, and more often if I can. Ask anything you wish. What I ask in return is that you ask a specific question with as much detail as possible. My fellow recruiters do an amazing job given that I update information constantly and this changes their lives from day to day as it sometimes does yours. Give me a chance to explain what you are most confused on, but in the end it is the recruiter you will be working with and through if you choose this life as your path. Once I figure out how to blog I am going to try that also. Let me know if there is a specific topic or post you would like and I can try that too. Best wishes to all, and I hope this helps :-) Ciao, Ciao

LT, NC, USN

Hello TeleJenny and I hope this finds you well. I have to be brief because I am studying for an exam at the moment, but I wanted to answer your questions as best I can. I will do so in order, and if it brings up new questions, please fire away!!

1. No…you will get no credit towards rank until you work beyond the 6mo point and then we give 1/2 year for every year…they break it down into y/mo/day. Google the OPNAV 1120.7A as it is our current instruction and the breakdown is in it. Direct Accession requires no time…you will need to be credentialed, and you would be 1910 (MedSurg) as far as the Navy recognizes. If your goal is to apply this FY (FY15) that begins Oct 1, 2014, then your package needs to be fully complete by that first week in October. If not your best bet is going to be next FY (FY16). We take 1900 (Professional/brand new grad) and 1910 regularly, but the rest vary depending on the needs. I have no insight into that as of right now…it is above my head and I have no input into these numbers. When I do know I post it to the recruiters immediately so they know what to tell potential applicants.

2. You do have a chance…sometimes it is better, sometimes it is not…it all depends on what the mix is that we need a the time, but you will not know if you do not apply and try.

2b. (2 was listed twice) You must get your application in early, and you must fill it out completely and give us everything we ask for. Your personal statement should focus on why Navy AND why Navy Nurse…you become both and officer and a Nurse, not just one or the other, so tell me why you want to be both. Your GPA will help, but its the references and Interviews you will do that will really show us what others think of you both personally and professionally. It is a complete person concept, so you really want to emulate the whole package. Any recruiter can provide you with the checklist we use to help you in getting things together.

3. Reserves is just as if not more competitive. The main difference is that in the Reserves you will stay in the area that you affiliate in. For you that would be Med Surg. We do not train you to become anything else as we rely on you to fill a Med Surg role if we need with little training because you should be working as one. FY16 is your only option for Med Surg Reserves at this time.

4. You cannot do it. Contrary to what anyone else will tell you, I am being VERY CLEAR when I say…you either go Reserve or Active. We do not, at this time, nor in the foreseeable future have any availability to RECALL (the term used) a Reservist to permanent Active duty. If we were to ever exercise this option it will be directed through my shop and we only do it for something we deem critical. We tell EVERYONE who inquires about this that Reserve is not a way to go Active.

5. N3M is our determining shop for all medical waivers. What will happen is that you will fill out a pre-screen questionnaire and then MEPS will need to see all of your documentation regarding the surgery and post-ops. I cannot say for sure one way or the other, but our medical team is phenomenal when deciphering what truly should or should not keep you from serving. The Navy follow the Manual of Medicine, so if they do tell you that it is not in your best interest, please believe that that is truly what they have in mind.

Hope this helps for now…let me know what other issues I may have created or questions I may have brought up. Don't forget to Google the Instruction I mentioned, and have a wonderful and peaceful weekend.

Ciao Ciao,

LT, NC, USN

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Do you know the actual process of new nurse training after ODS? I was reading somewhere that it is a 16 week rotation through different med surg, and then at the end you go to where this is a need. Can you shed some light on this please. What exactly is covered in those 16 weeks, do you have a nurse preceptor, do you go where there is a need for med surg? New nurses typically do med surg first. How is that whole process?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

@NavyNurseCorpsPM1: Hello, do you have any info on Navy reserves for NP? I have been a nurse for 9 years (here in US) and a family nurse practitioner for 18 months. I have no information/response at all from recruiter I called if there is an opening or not. Any info would be great...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.

NavyNurseCorpsPM1,

I have a few questions regarding having a MBA(specifically in Health Care Management) vs MSN. Would having a MBA count as time toward rank since it is a masters, or does it have to be a MSN? Also, what kind of accreditation (if any), does a MBA or MSN have in order to count toward rank? Would it matter it the degree was obtained online or taking the classes in person? Thanks for your time and info.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

vinstafa, hello and Good evening. Please refer to the OPNAV 1120.7a (I frequently refer to this) as it is the governing instruction over your questions. In short, the MSN must be from a CCNE or ACEN accredited institution that must have been accredited while you attended and graduated. The MBA would be geared more towards an MSC (Health Care Admin) not a NC specialty, so it would be case by case.

Only the board grants credit, and they are seasoned CAPT's that take the instruction into careful consideration before awarding credit.

Hope this answers the question.

Ciao Ciao,

LT, NC, USN

Up Vote Up Vote ×

NavyNurseCorpsPM1,

Thank you very much for all the information you supplied. It is incredibly helpful! I am in the process of trying to establish contact with a recruiter in the San Diego area, and it seems very difficult to do at this time. All I'm getting are voicemails with no identifying information for whom I'm leaving a message. I even tried driving to the office address of the recruiter listed for San Diego on the navy.com website, but was stopped by a gate guard as the office is located on a Naval base and I have no military ID stickers on my car. Do you have any recommendation as to trying other venues for establishing contact with a recruiter?

Thank you again, and I hope the test you were studying for last month went well.

Jennifer

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hello TeleJenny! First, thank you for the well wishes…it was the GRE and it went completely fine (despite the stressing). I will NEVER be taking or talking about it again though…not my personal cup of tea :-)

In San Diego I have some recruiters I can put you in touch with. I need to ask though…did you do the America's Navyâ„¢ : Navy.com "find a recruiter" route? I need the name of the recruiter it gave you and the number so that I can rectify any comms issues. If you haven't done that just yet, I know its a pain, please go on and work through that first. Your second bet is to call the NRD San Diego.

Once all of these options fail I can step in, but I prefer to let the system work for me first. Again, be prepared to give me names and numbers so I have specific information to work with and get issues resolved.

Hope this helps, and enjoy your day.

Ciao Ciao,

LT, USN, NC

Up Vote Up Vote ×

As4Awesome,

The only recruiting at this time for NP is for the Reserve side, and is is specifically for PNP, MHNP, and Midwife. We are not recruiting outside of these areas in the Practitioner field at this time for the Nurse Corps. This may change in the future, but for FY15 this is absolute.

Hope this helps and have a wonderful day.

Ciao Ciao,

LT, USN, NC

Up Vote Up Vote ×

NavyNurseCorpsPM1, I'm glad to hear all is well. Congratulations :-)

I completely understand wanting to follow protocols. And yes, I had used the America's Navyâ„¢ : Navy.com website to find a recruiter. Actually, I was finally contacted by a recruiter yesterday after two weeks of leaving messages on the initial recruiter's machine (LT Jason Boyce 619-524-4037). I spoke with a LCDR Derrick LaBeau, and got some of the above questions answered. It was enlightening, however he said that I am disqualified because my refractive error is -13.5 diopters. He said the upper limit for waivers was -10.0 diopters. Honestly, I am heartbroken. I really wanted this.

But thank you again for your efforts Navy NurseCorpsPM1, and thank you for your service.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

As a Navy Reserve Nurse do you have to work at naval base or hospital, or can you have a normal civilian job and just go to the required drillings? I am a sophomore in a BSN program and an interested in being in the reserves.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have so many questions, I don't even know where to start.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Ok that was a test to see if this is where I actually post my questions. Just wanted to make sure.

So here is my story, I am a 31 years old and have a huge interest in becoming a nurse in the Navy. I have been a RN for 9 years and a LPN before that. I am pretty versed in working in almost every dept because of my job title, I am a resource nurse which means I work a little bit of everywhere and have to know how to function in each dept. whether it be OB, ICU, ED or surgery. I am trying not to brag, but I have just been exposed to it all, where am I the most proficient ED and ICU, because that is where I am the most. I have my BSN, so where does that put me?? If you do active duty where do they put you? I am married and have 4 children and really don't want to relocate. how does that really work. Would reserves be better for me?? Which brings me to my next question, what is being in the reserves like. What do you do at drill weekend? How fast do you go to Rhode Island for officer training? When do you exactly get to practice as a nurse. Do you get deployed? I guess I would really like to talk with some one in person because it doesn't even feel like this is the tip of the iceberg becasue I know I will have more questions.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment