Nursing in NM

[Submariner]

Hi everyone!

I am orig. from Albuquerque but left four years ago to join the Navy. I am currently a nuclear mechanic but I really want to become a Nurse. My enlistment is almost up and I was offered the chance to join the Naval Nurse Corps. Pretty much that means that the NAVY said they would pay for me to go to UNM and get my BSN and after I get licensed I have to work in a Naval hospital for five years. I was just wondering if anyone can give me a little insight on to what kind of pay albuquerque hospitals are giving to ER nurses since this is what I ultmately would like to do.

Thanks!

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Sub Guy,

Dunno a durn thang about Albequerque 'cept it shore is rat purdy. Driv thu thar cupla times twice in October, first time during the b'loon festival--whar's that camera agin maw? If'n you figger out what they're a payin' y'might lemme know, cuz my nursin career's 'bout tapped out in these here parts any how.

Now, 'bout this NAVY thang. Proud to say, Navy vet m'self. MM2 on a can in the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club, 68, and drilling reserve 2 year before and 2 years after.

[[email protected]]

Sub Guy,

Dunno a durn thang about Albequerque 'cept it shore is rat purdy. Driv thu thar cupla times twice in October, first time during the b'loon festival--whar's that camera agin maw? If'n you figger out what they're a payin' y'might lemme know, cuz my nursin career's 'bout tapped out in these here parts any how.

Now, 'bout this NAVY thang. Proud to say, Navy vet m'self. MM2 on a can in the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club, 68, and drilling reserve 2 year before and 2 years after.

You need to get precise information from the Navy before you make a 9-year committment to pay for your education. It would be 4yrs college, (that is presuming you have no previous college) plus your 5 years "Slave Labor" to pay back Uncle Sam. I use the term slave labor because sometimes that's just what it turns out to be. Find out where they intend to send you for duty after school. Take an educated guess about what nursing speciality you intend to pursue, and what your options of getting there while serving out your hitch. Don't know how old you are or how much time you have in, but as a nuke, I'd guess you'll be at least E5 with 6 years in by the time you go to college. Find out where Navy nurses are working now. If you intend to remain in Alb. find out what the nearest place Navy nurses work. Call some of those hospitals on the midnite shift and talk to a staff nurse to see what it's like working there. Nursing salaries and benefits ect are a no-brainer. email the hospitals in the area and they will send you more poop than you can read. BUT don't believe everything any recruiter (Navy or civilian) tells you, especially about nursing. Most nurse recruiters are busy worrying about how soon their hospital will close leaving them high and dry. They will do a good job of painting a rosie picture. Send for as much of this BS as you can in order to develop a good BS detector. I'm not kidding. I've been working ER for mostly the same hospital sytem for over 20 years and I still try to go to at least one nursing job fair to talk to these folks. These are folks that earn a nice living being nice. Besides they give you the greatest toys. I always get really neat pens, notebooks calculators and stuff at them. Don't know where your home ported but as soon as you can check the local nursing sites, newspapers ect. and find out where the next local nursing job fair is, and go to it. You don't have to be a nurse or even to know what a nurse is to go to these things. All these recruiter's bosses care about is how many people they talk to at the fair. Most of them have a clipboard to collect names. All ya gotta do is write, "Florence Nightingale. Ward Sister, St. Bartholomew's Hosp. , London", and they may give you a prize. Chances are you will meet a nurse recruiter from an Alb. hospital. They're always classy-looking too!

Jon, Tin Can Sailor.:roll