New to Navy, ODS, Portsmouth-need any help?

Specialties Government

Published

Hi there,

I've been a nurse since 2010 and graduated from University of Portland, Oregon. I worked in mental health and with the red cross for a year before applying for the Navy. 13 mos later I found myself at Officer Development School and graduated this February. I'm stationed at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth now and living in Norfolk. I wanted to offer myself as a resource to any of these topics since I felt like I was at a loss for information prior to coming in. Feel free to ask anything about the nursing, the Navy, the application process, duty stations, ODS, Norfolk, etc. Good luck to you and thank you for considering service in the US military.

Specializes in Cardiovascular.

Not particularly: Our first choice was San Diego because we live in Phoenix, Arizona so San Diego would have been a much closer move for us, but they had zero openings there. So our second choice was Bethesda, and they had openings! :) We're super excited either way, but knowing that he's going to be working at Walter Reed makes it like a dream come true in our books

My kit is being reviewed now for the ICU board. I'm hoping if I get selected to go to Portsmouth.

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Specializes in CEN, SCRN.

Anyone have any ideas as to how to get the recruiters to even call you back? I'm currently working on my RN-BSN, am an experienced paramedic, have my CEN and multiple instructor certs, am a prior corpsman, and have a pretty decent GPA and resume. No one from my local NRD is calling me back. I would like to assume it is because of the current budget crisis, but I can't get a hold of anyone at all.

The only live person I have been able to reach was some chief who gave me the extension for another voicemail box. I understand if they're not taking applicants for the NCP right now. God forbid my local NRD have to put together another application that might just get rejected. I just want to hear something from them. Anything......

Any ideas other than taking the 3 hour drive and showing up in person? I know where it is. I was assigned to that same command TAD for 10 months before.

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Specializes in Psych, Critical Care, ER, Military.

Hi oorahwife,

I bought a couple boring packages of cheap white underwear. Honestly it ought not to matter much, just 'leave the frilly crap at home.' I brought a few regular pairs for liberty and after training so I could... I guess feel like a pretty girl again. :-)

Sports bras/bras can be any neutral color-I recommend white/nude. Know that for medical rodeos and uniform fitting you will be wearing PT shorts and whatever white shirt(s) you bring with you to training. I was told to by boys large so you don't have to tuck it into my uniform. However I found it to be too tight and nearly revealing during the medical rodeos. I recommend something that fits snug but not too tight. The color thing is an issue because when you wear hot pink and polka dots under your white shirt... it's ridiculous and embarrassing.

Every officer at ODS will be in the dormitory at Newport, standard dorm with two beds, two desks, and two wardrobes. They will fill double rooms first regardless of how many rooms may be empty.

I showed up to training approximately 1 hour before I was required to be there... would it have been better to be more moved in and prepared? Always. Do I regret it? Not now, that was that last time I saw my family for months ans I'm glad I spent it with them.

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Thanks so much for the info Sw88tpea!

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Holy cow I cannot believe how glad I am to have found this. I just got accepted into the NCP program but due to some kind of something or other (my recruiter was vague) I won't be "signing" until May. So I will officially be in the NCP program from May of 2013 to December of 2013 when I graduate. I cannot believe how hard it is to find answers on the NCP program! My recruiter lives 12 hours away from me and I am his maiden voyage so to speak... so I have many unanswered questions Anyway, I'm sure these questions have been answered, but I'll put them out there again.

1.) So I'm gathering that you do know your 1st duty station prior to leaving for ODS? That is a huge weight off of my shoulders. I didn't know if it was like when my husband went enlisted in the AF and we didn't know where we were going to end up until a few weeks before he was done with tech school. So am I understanding that correctly?

2.) What is your dream sheet like? Are you putting the big 3 (VA, Bethesda and SanD) in order on that, or are you supposed to be putting anything and everything on there?

3.) I have a husband and 2 kids. Between VA and Bethesda, which is more family friendly (schools and such)

I don't think any of these questions were the ones I actually needed to ask, but once I get over my excitement of finding people who will answer questions, I'm sure I'll remember the good ones ;)

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Specializes in Psych, Critical Care, ER, Military.

Hi slc1984, Congrats!

1. Yes you know your first duty station before you go and you should receive your orders with that information when you sign, if not then certainly before you go.

2. Yes, I put the big three. If there is another place you wouldn't mind living then you could put it on there and see what happens-it would probably be a discussion.

3. I don't know about schools but I do know families that are at both. Bethesda is a big city/near the big city and Norfolk is more of a beach town (300K population). I'm more of a city girl and when I visit Bethesda I wish I was there. It's hard though because Bethesda is a joint hospital-so you work with Army, Air Force etc. But it's certainly the top of line as far as military treatment facilities on the east coast. There's pros and cons to both. I can go more into it if you want.

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Hi slc1984,

Congrats!

If you are NCP, then you pretty much have to list the big 3 as your preferences. They also tell you if you are at school on one coast then they won't send you to the other. (At least those are the instructions that went out to summer/fall grads.) However, the reality is the needs of the Navy come first, so you may be sent to a smaller hospital and you may have an opportunity to go to the opposite coast. But you won't know anything until you talk with the detailer which is probably about 2-3 months out from graduation.

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Thanks so much!

My next question is about ODS. Does it only start a few times a year or is there quite a few start dates. I will be taking my NCLEX in January of 14 and wasn't sure if ODS has start dates right after that or if I will more than likely be waiting awhile before going. I've seen conflicting information on this.

I live in South Dakota and have been to San Diego and love it, but would rather be east coast. I have never been over there at all though. Are there definite places I want to stay away from when looking for a house at either location? This is a pretty far off question I know, but I figure we better start preparing.

Also, I just have to ask... how long were you/have you been at the station you started at? Like I said, my husband was AF and we were in Phoenix for the entire 6 years (and I know people who have been there much longer, but mostly by choice). I have a feeling the Navy may be more mobile than this but wasn't sure :)

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Specializes in Psych, Critical Care, ER, Military.

slc1984,

ODS runs year long, every 5 weeks. So far I have heard no changes to this. You would probably be attending the February tour that starts in the beginning of the month.

I think your chances of going to the east coast should be good. Things tend to run with the fiscal year (starts in October) so I would imagine that people coming in towards the end of the fiscal year have less say in the matter.

Once you know which station you are going to, there are plenty of folks to help you determine the good and bad areas of town.

Nursing orders in the Navy tend to be three years for CONUS and 18-24months for OCONUS. At my command, they do not often extend orders for another three and will encourage you to move. If in the DC area, you could request Ft. Belvoir Army base for example, so you wouldn't end up going far. Also, second stations can be Marine bases: Quantico, Camp Lejune, Cherry Pointe, etc. It's one of those things where you can always ask-the worst they will say is no. Also by that time, commands will have new director's of nursing that may decide to do things differently.

Depending on how long you plan on staying in, there are boxes you need to check as far as being at a large treatment facility and a medium one.

Hope it helps.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

thanks for starting this tread; it has been more helpful than speaking to a recruiter or getting information from random google searches. a little information about me: i am early in the application process, just finished my packet(have not submitted it yet), and finished my online security clearance. i have 5 years experience with my BSN, working in a MICU; almost 3 years of running charge. i was hoping that i could get a little help with a few questions from people who have gone through everything.

1. when it comes to your first duty station, are you given three options, or are you able to make a "wish list" and hopefully you can choose from that?

2. at what point exactly do you know for sure where you are going? i own a home here in baltimore, and selling it is going to be a pain.

3. what type of things are able to be directly negotiated in your contract? (ie; rank, location, bonus etc.)

4. i was told by my recruiter that i would go in as an o-2 with my work experience. he told me that the 2 years civilian is 1 year active, but it isn't set in stone. does that mean i could possibly negotiate up to an o-3?

5. im hoping that with my icu experience that i would be staying in the icu?

6. has anyone heard of anyone going overseas for a first duty station?

thanks for any help given.

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Specializes in Psych, Critical Care, ER, Military.

Hi vinstafa,

1. You can give three 'preferences' and it will be part of your application package.

2. I would say receiving orders means you are going, not just the letter. Orders means there is a spot for you, they have accepted you contract, etc. The day after I received my orders I swore in and left for ODS 30 days later. Granted, arriving at ODS is the definitive.

3. Rank is not really 'negotiated' but it can be adjusted with a history of full time employment as an RN, BSN. Generally, for every 2 years in civilian they will give you one year towards your 'date of rank.'

4. 'Negotiating' rank is not really done, as I said it can be adjusted with solid records and history of your employment. Your 5 years of civilivan experience could get you '2.5 years' on your rank in the Navy which puts you at O-2 (with only 18 months left to get O-3).

5. No matter what your recruiter tells you, by the time you arrive to your duty station, if they have a shortage somewhere you will be placed there. If you are placed somewhere that is not your preference, things can change in as little as 6 mos and you can be moved to the ICU-I've seen it. It is important when filling out your paperwork that you make sure you are given a subspecialty code of 1960S if you can. This designates you as critical care with significant experience (2+ years) (1900 is for your generalized nurse). With this, it would make sense for your command to use your skills. Know that the command may not decide where you are going until after you are there. This gives you time to shake hands, introduce yourself, and be your own advocate.

6. Some of my friends from ODS went overseas for their first duty station. If this is your wish, I would put 'overseas' as your first preference. Know that nurses in Europe (Rota, Naples, Sigonella) work on a single multi-service ward with limited critical care and often end up doing L&D. Guam and Okinawa are Level 1 tramas I think, Guam is also the civilian hospital (which means real sick people, not just military). So you could put Okinawa/Guam.

Good questions. Keep me posted.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Thanks for all the information. I went over my paperwork, and on my scroll, it did have my subspecialty listed as 1960-Critical Care. Is there a difference between the 1960 on my form, and the 1960S you posted about?

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