Nurse Corps Question

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  1. Is Nursing Corps worth it?

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Hello everyone!

I'm still waiting to hear back from ABSN programs, but I'm looking ahead towards the future. I still have a lot of time to plan!

I stumbled across the Army's nurse corps recently, where it sounds like they do debt forgiveness and a 30k sign on bonus...from my limited knowledge, it sounds like the Navy and Air Force do it too.

As someone coming from a clean slate and little to no knowledge on the subject, I'm just looking for input from those who have done it. I mean, if I talk to a recruiter, they're a bit biased on it and will make is sound like the greatest thing ever. lol

The benefits look great, but I'd love to hear what people would have to say to someone like me, coming from a background with no military experience.

From y'alls experience, which branch is better? Is it worth it to sign up? Is it recommended? Any tips or pros/cons? Should I run in the other direction?

Any input is appreciated.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

The Army is not currently recruiting new grads. You should really speak with healthcare recruiters to get the current picture, but the military is drawing down (decreasing numbers) which has a definite effect on nursing needs. The military is very competitive right now. I would not count on Uncle Sam to pay your student loans or give you a sign-on bonus. The simple fact is that they have more than enough candidates vying for limited spots, meaning that the military does not have a lot need to incentive commissioning. But things are always changing!

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Thank you! This is the stuff I need to hear. Their websites make it sound so glamorous.

I had someone tell me if I do go that route to go Air Force? I asked around on my facebook page, most people are saying not to do it.

As I said, I still have a ton of time, I just want to hear what people have to say.

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

If you want to do military nursing as a new grad, then you have to make peace with doing med-surg nursing for a while (2-3 years). If you really want to do something else right away, then get a few years of civilian experience first. If you do OR, ICU, or ER on the civilian side, make sure you do it at a level one trauma center; that makes sure you get experience with sicker patients.

Honestly, all three branches are pretty much the same. The deployment schedule for the Air Force seems the better (6 months potentially deployed and 12 months off) option to me. However, the day to day grind for the average bedside nurse is pretty similar across the board. My big gripe is that the average acuity seen at a military hospital is quite low; you don't get very sick patients when not deployed (all the more reason to get civilian experience first).

I would imagine the sign-on bonuses and/or loan repayment stick around, but you never know. It gets people to sign for longer periods of time (which ultimately saves the government in terms of turnover). In my limited military nursing experience, I have found that it is that it is a very big game of 'how many years of my life can I exchange for cash, extra training, or education.' You want to re-train as an ICU nurse? Commit 5 years extra and we'll send you to a fellowship. Want to get your master's? Give us 2 years to use tuition assistance. Are you a med-surg nurse and want to become a CRNA? Give us 12 years (ICU fellowship+ICU exp+ AFIT obligation).

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Do you start off as an officer if you enlist as an RN? If so, can you choose to be a non-commissioned officer?

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Do you start off as an officer if you enlist as an RN? If so, can you choose to be a non-commissioned officer?

In the army, I know if you enlist with a BSN or MSN you're an officer. I don't know about the other branches at this time, but I assume they're the same.

Nurse Corps Officer (66) | goarmy.com

Nurse Benefits | goarmy.com

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Officers don't enlist, we commission. You must at least have a BSN to commission. The Army is the only branch that has enlisted nurses that are LPNs/LVNs.

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

You need to learn the difference between commissioning (starting as an O1 to O3) and enlisting (starting as an E3 or E4). You can enlist with a BSN or MSN, but you won't practice as a nurse. You'll be practicing at a CNA II or EMT-B level; your pay will reflect that too (lower pay).

You commission because you competed against others and won that position. You don't automatically get it for having a college degree. We were told in COT that 40% of the enlisted Air Force has at least a bachelor's degree.

Nobody in the airforce starts off as an NCO (E-5 or above). It doesn't matter if you have a PhD. I'm pretty sure the other branches are the same.

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You need to learn the difference between commissioning (starting as an O1 to O3) and enlisting (starting as an E3 or E4). You can enlist with a BSN or MSN, but you won't practice as a nurse. You'll be practicing at a CNA II or EMT-B level; your pay will reflect that too (lower pay).

You commission because you competed against others and won that position. You don't automatically get it for having a college degree. We were told in COT that 40% of the enlisted Air Force has at least a bachelor's degree.

Nobody in the airforce starts off as an NCO (E-5 or above). It doesn't matter if you have a PhD. I'm pretty sure the other branches are the same.

My apologies for the mistakes. Thanks for the information.

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.
Join the Navy Nurse Candidate Program (NCP) : Navy.com
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As the other posts state, it's not as easy as show up and sign, and I don't recommend trying to join any branch simply for the money. Joining the military is not for everyone. Joining the military as a nurse means you are literally there to serve. I don't just mean serve your country, serve your patients, etc. I mean you are there for the government to use you, so if you do not have the heart for it and are simply looking for benefits, it's not for you. I believe anyone who attempts to join the military should know what they are getting into. It's not going to be glamorous, fabulous, richy rich life if you join. Will there be pros? Absolutely. Will they pay you well? I'd like to think so, but it depends how many EXTRA hours you end up working. Should a nurse join simply for benefits/money? No. They should join to serve without expecting a pedestal to stand on.

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