Need some good opinions

[alejandra.12]

So, I'm currently a senior in high school I graduate next week. I want to be a nurse. I had already decided that I was going to a community college first to get my associates then transfer to get my bachelors in nursing. I am also interested in joining the navy. I've always been interested I just never was fully into it until one day, in my medical class that I take in High School, a navy recruiter came and spoke to us about being a nurse in the navy. I really want to experience something new something I never saw myself doing but I don't know if to enlist in the navy now, have a little change for myself and experience something new or go to school first then join. Either way if I did the navy I still want to get into nursing but I don't know what to do. I want some opinions or personal experiences/decisions.

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

You're far better off going to school, preferably doing ROTC at a university, and becoming a military nurse after graduation. Enlisting will significantly increase the time it takes for you to become a nurse (at least by 4 years by my guess). If your grades aren't very strong, finishing your degree in the way you've described and applied for a direct commission upon graduation.

[Guest374845]

ROTC without a doubt. You get to experience college with more of an introduction to what joining the military is all about, you can see the pros and cons to serving in each branch (after all, you've only seen what the Navy has to offer; this can change or be affirmed), it decreases the odds that you'll partake in disqualifying stupid decisions or accumulate disqualifying age-related medical problems or injuries prior to joining, and so so much more.

Just understand that if you go that route you represent the military from day 1 so you better be an angel for 4 years. And commissioning as a nurse is competitive even with ROTC behind you so try to maintain the highest GPA possible.