Need Advice.....ANimal Nursing or Continue RN Nursing???

DirtyBlackSocks · Feb 23, 2010

I will definitely look into some of the things you mentioned. It is worth a try, I do know that some things (specialties, ASI's) are harder to get into for those of us that are in the reserve component. Once again, thanks for the advice, I definitely needed a few choices to jog my memory.

I noticed you're female too, which makes it harder to get ASI's just because of the double standard with combat deploy ability in the Army.

Just keep plugging away, I know plenty of female medics who have ASI's - they just applied for them during their AIT training. I'm not sure how it works once you're E6.

If you're doubting yourself, that's a good sign. The medics/nurses/doctors that get people killed are the ones who think they're perfect.

AR2010 · Feb 23, 2010

I noticed you're female too, which makes it harder to get ASI's just because of the double standard with combat deploy ability in the Army.
Just keep plugging away, I know plenty of female medics who have ASI's - they just applied for them during their AIT training. I'm not sure how it works once you're E6.
If you're doubting yourself, that's a good sign. The medics/nurses/doctors that get people killed are the ones who think they're perfect.

you are absolutely right, and that is something alot of people dont realize. There is a double standard, because although I can deploy with and have been deployed with combat units, the ARMY is still reluctant to award schools to females that carry a hight deployment rate, which is ridiculous because being a medic period is a highly deployable MOS. Also, alot of schools are not given to enlisted soldiers above E-5 because they are afraid that at that point in your career, you will take the training and run per say, but regardless I will continue to look into it, especially the M6 school. What better way to get training is there than to let someone else pay for it?

Guest 360983 · Feb 23, 2010

M6 isn't as hard to get as a female because you end up in a hospital. A deployed hospital, of course, but they seem to think it's better. :uhoh3:

What attracted you to being a vet? My little sister wanted to be a vet, majored in animal science, didn't have a high enough GPA for vet school, and is now doing research on primates at a medical school while working on her masters. A program like animal science gives you the background for vet school but also opens up other career opportunites for you. It's not the same as a vet tech, and maybe a bit more research oriented than you want, but there's a much better potential for money.

AR2010 · Feb 24, 2010

M6 isn't as hard to get as a female because you end up in a hospital. A deployed hospital, of course, but they seem to think it's better.
What attracted you to being a vet? My little sister wanted to be a vet, majored in animal science, didn't have a high enough GPA for vet school, and is now doing research on primates at a medical school while working on her masters. A program like animal science gives you the background for vet school but also opens up other career opportunites for you. It's not the same as a vet tech, and maybe a bit more research oriented than you want, but there's a much better potential for money.

Tx Nurse, Thank you for replying. When I first began attending college, Preveterinary science was my major and then I got deployed as an ARMY medic and surprisingly, I liked the human aspect so after weighing the pros and cons decided that although very challenging, nursing school would be easier to get into and there would be a much larger potential for movement throughout the field of nursing once I completed school. M6 school would be harder for me to get due to my rank (SSG), I would have to get a waiver because the ARMY likes to save those school for the junior enlisted. I dont think it would be impossible to get, just a little bit more difficult. As they say, if only I knew then what I know now, I may have taken a totally different path. I wish I had known that I couldve started by taking up animal science, or even having attended the M6 school when I first joined (had it put into my contract).

P.S.

I have been deployed with M6 medics who were with combat engineer units, so sometimes you dont always get the perk of staying in a hospital. I remeber at one time before you went into any medical mos whether it be x-ray, dietics, etc, the ARMY made you go to the EMT-B portion of schooling so that they, if needed could always deploy you as a medic, I remember it happened to an E-7 who was a repiratory therapist. She had never practiced as a medic and had always been an RT. The ARMY has its ways to get around loopholes ;-)

Guest 360983 · Feb 24, 2010

Hey, it's never too late to go back to school, especially with your GI bill, right? :)

I only mention the M6 thing because I knew several people that did it (back when 91W were new) and most of them ended up in hospitals. A good chunk of them were reserve/guard though, and they were attached to a CSH/CASH (can't remember the exact term...). Maybe you can go reserve/guard after you're done active duty and get that in your contract? Or, if you're already guard/reserve, maybe you can find a unit willing to take you as a M6. It's a long school but you sit TX LPN boards (one of the highest LPN NCLEX pass rates in the state lol). Of course, they told us that women were never deployed to the front line... and my best friend was with an all male tank unit! Gotta love the Army.

I'm not saying you should do anything, I'm just tossing out some ideas. Maybe one of them will point you in a good direction.

DirtyBlackSocks · Feb 24, 2010

Tx Nurse, Thank you for replying. When I first began attending college, Preveterinary science was my major and then I got deployed as an ARMY medic and surprisingly, I liked the human aspect so after weighing the pros and cons decided that although very challenging, nursing school would be easier to get into and there would be a much larger potential for movement throughout the field of nursing once I completed school. M6 school would be harder for me to get due to my rank (SSG), I would have to get a waiver because the ARMY likes to save those school for the junior enlisted. I dont think it would be impossible to get, just a little bit more difficult. As they say, if only I knew then what I know now, I may have taken a totally different path. I wish I had known that I couldve started by taking up animal science, or even having attended the M6 school when I first joined (had it put into my contract).
P.S.
I have been deployed with M6 medics who were with combat engineer units, so sometimes you dont always get the perk of staying in a hospital. I remeber at one time before you went into any medical mos whether it be x-ray, dietics, etc, the ARMY made you go to the EMT-B portion of schooling so that they, if needed could always deploy you as a medic, I remember it happened to an E-7 who was a repiratory therapist. She had never practiced as a medic and had always been an RT. The ARMY has its ways to get around loopholes ;-)

The double standard applies both ways. Males with the same training level as a female are still expected to deploy simply because of their gender, keep that in mind.

It sucks, I know, but the fact that a male is able to serve with forward operating units more successfully based around guidelines dictates a greater need for additional experience through training.

In the ASI's I listed you can see the differences in rank requirements, as you know it's all about who you know in the military when you're back in the states. If your Top or CO thinks you're an excellent soldier, chances are you'll get a reference. If you're a medic that is just doing the bare minimum until you ETS, it will reflect in your application - when the higher ups are given a limited number of opportunities to give out to their soldiers, they will go with the ones who show initiative.

I really hope you can get an M6 qualifier, or even one of the other ASI's I defined. ANY of them will translate well into a civilian transition - and most of them mean that you'll be given a more specialized work field where you're stationed. Seems like a win win to me. :)

If you play on re-upping your contract, and you've got a good track record with your service - you most certainly can get any ASI you desire (withholding the SF training for obvious reasons) worked into your new contract.

Although, if the military is anything like I remember it when I was in - you probably don't want to re-up, haha.

AR2010 · Feb 27, 2010

Hey, it's never too late to go back to school, especially with your GI bill, right? :)
I only mention the M6 thing because I knew several people that did it (back when 91W were new) and most of them ended up in hospitals. A good chunk of them were reserve/guard though, and they were attached to a CSH/CASH (can't remember the exact term...). Maybe you can go reserve/guard after you're done active duty and get that in your contract? Or, if you're already guard/reserve, maybe you can find a unit willing to take you as a M6. It's a long school but you sit TX LPN boards (one of the highest LPN NCLEX pass rates in the state lol). Of course, they told us that women were never deployed to the front line... and my best friend was with an all male tank unit! Gotta love the Army.
I'm not saying you should do anything, I'm just tossing out some ideas. Maybe one of them will point you in a good direction.

you are absolutely right, it is never too to go back to school, and I am looking into the M6 thing. Thanks again for the advice. Also, my unit is a CSH (combat support hospital) and it is the closest one where I live (i am a reservist). My best bet would be to try to get the waiver. LOL, when I came in my mos was 91B combat medic (even though I am a female and there was debate about females being called combat medics......go figure). The LPN was the 91C, and it was a seperate mos. they then changed the mos to 91W (healthcare specialist/nco) and combined the two mos's and made the lpn the skill identifier. ANd now it is 68W (they changed the whole medical series to 68 series) Im sure you already knew that or dont care lol, just wanted to sound smart :lol2: . thanks again for the advice.

AR2010 · Feb 27, 2010

The double standard applies both ways. Males with the same training level as a female are still expected to deploy simply because of their gender, keep that in mind.
It sucks, I know, but the fact that a male is able to serve with forward operating units more successfully based around guidelines dictates a greater need for additional experience through training.
In the ASI's I listed you can see the differences in rank requirements, as you know it's all about who you know in the military when you're back in the states. If your Top or CO thinks you're an excellent soldier, chances are you'll get a reference. If you're a medic that is just doing the bare minimum until you ETS, it will reflect in your application - when the higher ups are given a limited number of opportunities to give out to their soldiers, they will go with the ones who show initiative.
I really hope you can get an M6 qualifier, or even one of the other ASI's I defined. ANY of them will translate well into a civilian transition - and most of them mean that you'll be given a more specialized work field where you're stationed. Seems like a win win to me. :)
If you play on re-upping your contract, and you've got a good track record with your service - you most certainly can get any ASI you desire (withholding the SF training for obvious reasons) worked into your new contract.
Although, if the military is anything like I remember it when I was in - you probably don't want to re-up, haha.

Oh, I definitely agree with you on the double standard thing, it does go both ways, as far as SF, even if females were allowed to do that, its not really what Im into . Im sure there are some high speed females out there that could do it, but Infantry type MOS's are not really what my goals are based around. I also agree with you on the who you know thing, there is alot of politics involved in the ARMY today, and I see it all the time, those that get in good with the higher ups are the ones that get the schools. the ASI's you listed would definitely translate into something better than just the EMT-B that transfers. I find it very disheartening that the scope of things I could do when I was deployed is almost nonexistant if I were to work as a civilian EMT. Also, where I live, EMT-B's cap out at around 13 bucks an hour :crying2: . I am attempting to get the M6 ASI

DirtyBlackSocks · Feb 27, 2010

Oh, I definitely agree with you on the double standard thing, it does go both ways, as far as SF, even if females were allowed to do that, its not really what Im into . Im sure there are some high speed females out there that could do it, but Infantry type MOS's are not really what my goals are based around. I also agree with you on the who you know thing, there is alot of politics involved in the ARMY today, and I see it all the time, those that get in good with the higher ups are the ones that get the schools. the ASI's you listed would definitely translate into something better than just the EMT-B that transfers. I find it very disheartening that the scope of things I could do when I was deployed is almost nonexistant if I were to work as a civilian EMT. Also, where I live, EMT-B's cap out at around 13 bucks an hour . I am attempting to get the M6 ASI

I think there's a way to challenge the LVN/LPN when you're out, depending on what state you're living in - having just been a medic in the Army, but I'm not positive on that and it would be something you'd have to discuss with your state board of nursing.

https://allnurses.com/government-military-nursing/corpsmen-medics-become-270082.html

That link is useful too, I personally didn't go that route because I have a family.

Misslady113 · Feb 27, 2010

You need to follow your logics, as you said. Your feelings of being burnt out are very real things, but are just that... feelings. When years pass, and those feelings pass, your logic of staying in nursing may still be with you and you might regret it. Never make desicions based on feelings. I can't even imagine what its like to go through all that and then fail. I'm so sorry. But you have your whole life ahead of you. What's one more try going to hurt??

On top of that, I myself had considered being a vet tech, but it is a dead end job. Very little pay for a two year degree, and there is no room for advancement. Unless you are going to become a vet, you will be in the same position for many years. Sounds good now, but do you want to be a 50 year old vet tech? Forget going to school for that(unless its truly in your heart) and take that two years and invest it back into nursing. Good luck to you.:heartbeat

AR2010 · Feb 28, 2010

You need to follow your logics, as you said. Your feelings of being burnt out are very real things, but are just that... feelings. When years pass, and those feelings pass, your logic of staying in nursing may still be with you and you might regret it. Never make desicions based on feelings. I can't even imagine what its like to go through all that and then fail. I'm so sorry. But you have your whole life ahead of you. What's one more try going to hurt??
On top of that, I myself had considered being a vet tech, but it is a dead end job. Very little pay for a two year degree, and there is no room for advancement. Unless you are going to become a vet, you will be in the same position for many years. Sounds good now, but do you want to be a 50 year old vet tech? Forget going to school for that(unless its truly in your heart) and take that two years and invest it back into nursing. Good luck to you.:heartbeat

Miss Lady, thank you for replying, you are right, making it that far, through the stress, the weight gain (lol), and the sacrifices I had to make in my personal life, and then failing at the very end was hugely devastating, I went about my daily life in a state of shock and disbelief for weeks until one day, it hit me that I would have to start again and deal with this all over.....then the anger, and depression set in:crying2:. It was almost like dealing with the different stages of grieving (denial, anger, acceptance etc..). But on a more positive note :), I have recieved some excellent advice as well as words of encouragement from alot of people who have replied to this post, including yourself. It seems that alot of people are saying no to the vet tech thing and have basically confirmed what I had thought all along, that it is low paying, and there is no room for growth. I am definitely going to give nursing another shot, even if I have to go LPN and then do the RN thing at a later point.............Thank you for the great advice and words of encouragement...........:) :yeah: