PCS Military Spouse__Germany

[JujuBSN]

Hey everyone! I am newly married and my husband joined the Army in the last few months. He just finished basic training and is finishing his specialized training currently. I have my BSN and 3 years Med/Surg ICU experience. I figured that finding a job at my husband's new base would be easy. Unfortunately, he has been assigned out of the country to Vilseck, Germany and the closest real Army base hospital is about 3.5 hours away in Landstuhl. I DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING AT ALL! So its not like I can just go find a job at a civilian hospital and be fine. Now I have to worry about the language barrier and just the isolation of the small town in general.

From what I can tell, this town seems super small and not near any American hospitals. I know that they have a clinic at the Vilseck Army base and one nearby in Grafenwoehr but I don't know if they often have openings for nurses that are not active duty Army nurses. I have been looking at the USA jobs website but nothing nursing related has populated except in Landstuhl. Maybe they would be willing to find a position for me there eventually at the clinic? I figured I could travel nurse a few months a year and attempt to line it up with his deployments if local employment wasn't feasible but I would prefer to stay near him as much as possible. I would prefer to continue to work as a nurse since I love my job and I would love to keep contributing financially. Plus, If I dont work I may go crazy with the boredom. I hope to take online courses for FNP and then move back to the states for a few months to do the clinicals at the end of the program. Although by then, I hope we would be stateside again.

Many people keep suggesting that I just don't move with him and continue to work but I really don't want to do that although I know some people do. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also let me know how Vilseck is if you know! Thanks.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Look into volunteering with the local American Red Cross - while it won't be paid work, you will get continued nursing experience and maybe you won't go nuts from boredom!

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

Maybe Landstuhl would hire you part time and you could arrange your shifts in clumps. You could then stay on the base either at Landstuhl or nearby Ramstein and drive there once or twice a month...

[JujuBSN]

good thought!

[JujuBSN]

Do you know if the base would help me acquire part time work there? Also, Do they have places on base you can stay? or would I need hotel accommodations?

[caliotter3]

Because of your geographic isolation, if it were me, I would look into continuing your nursing education online/distance so that your time there is not wasted. Add nursing-centered volunteer work and you would have something positive for your nursing resume. While you can inquire about employment at the Landstuhl hospital, it probably is not a viable option. Jobs there were hard to come by way back when the American military had a palpable presence in Germany. Now jobs are most likely sewn up tight. Any on base accommodations are probably booked solid for incoming/departing personnel. You can probably count on needing civilian accommodations.

[BeccaznRN, RN]

When I moved to Stuttgart with my husband, I planned on not working and continuing my education online. Most of the military spouse nurses start out volunteering with Red Cross or at the clinic while waiting for a possible job to open. The clinics utilize medics and LPNs as well, so RN jobs might be a bit more scarce. Other nursing opportunities pop up in the DoD schools and contract positions for programs such as New Parent Support (but this program highly prefers a maternal/child nursing background). The job situation for nurses (or any spouse) isn't the greatest.

Personally, I wouldn't try to get a position at Landstuhl while living in Vilseck. You're looking at a VERY long commute just for the sake of working, and German traffic jams ("stau") are frequent and easily add hours to commutes. Not fun.

Go and take full advantage of the travel opportunities - trust me, you WON'T be bored. I spent the best three years of my life in Germany and would do it again in a heartbeat. =)

[nflores78]

I am a military spouse and my husband was stationed in Germany his first tour and boy do I regret not going. Enjoy being overseas, volunteering continue your and education. Time spent away from your husband other than your husbands obligations is time you will never get back.