olivedrab

1. All nurses who serve in the US military forces are Officers. 2. To be an Officer in any of the US military branches, you must be a US citizen. *Note that LPNs are Enlisted and not Officers, but also have to be citizens. I think it has to do with the specific security clearances that are only given to citizens. However, there are other (non-nursing) jobs open to non-citizens (legal/permanent residents) that don't require the more stringent security clearances, but you won't be handling any jobs that the military thinks might compromise OPSEC.

c o n g r a t u l a t i o n s ....ma'am! :balloons::balloons::balloons::balloons:

hi! i seem to remember it was an active duty army nurse who posted somewhere in these archives that civilian nurses get paid less because they cannot be activated and deployed. you may also not get the other family living expenses/allowances/benefits and gi bill (tuition reimbursements) that add to the highter total for actual active duty nurses or reservists.

dear MurseNeutron, thank you for your posts. always appreciate hearing from those who are actually out there serving.

imho, there's just no way it's going to be "mandatory" anytime anywhere soon with such a shortage. :chair: and i don't mean just in actual practicing nurses, but in nursing school spaces. right now, there are 3-4 year waiting lists and there was a story recently stating that most programs turn away otherwise qualified students. how do they expect everyone who dreams of being a nurse to get in? professional prestige or whatever, practical concerns about serving the public (and the nursing students) come into play. :smilecoffeecup:

yeah, i wasn't after the bursary at all --- i had been told that bursary programs aren't open to foreign students, so i was trying to see which ones were. i appreciate the program descriptions! :)

i've checked out a few of those on the list above, and it turns out that some/most(?) only accept in-state applicants (or in-county residents), so it's not really going to help those of us who are spread out all over.

i've been researching things and was struck by this --- i know that an ASN is a 2 year degree and a hospital diploma is a 3 year thing. is that what you are getting? you are working on earning both? :mortarboard: then i think you really shouldn't sign up at all, but especially during wartime, if you don't want to be deployed! there are other ways to serve the country.

i share your excitement about serving! :) i will pass along the piece of advice that changed the whole direction of my research -- only speak to HEALTH CARE (OFFICER) RECRUITERS. anyone else will not have the most up-to-date info about stats, offers, requirements, etc.

i think that was just the NG recruiter saying what any other recruiter would say about a different branch of service.

what are the differences between the degree courses and the diploma courses? is it similar to the difference between the associate's degree (2 yr course) and the bachelor's (4 yrs)?

anyone recommend a particular uni or city/town to check out? also would appreciate advice on places to stay away from. the ucas list is so long that i would prefer to have some knowledgeable people to give me a few clues first, before i send in more info. thanks in advance! :)

contrary to some reports that the af is downsizing and cutting back on personnel.... an article for you. air force will take over facility in afghanistan from the army the air force will take over for the army in running the new combat support hospital at bagram air base, afghanistan, in an effort to provide seamless medical care from the battlefield to stateside or european hospitals where patients receive definitive care. http://www.airforcetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2366323.php

yes, and they didn't usually come back for about 18 mos. that's 1.5 years of school you would've missed.

haha, this is my friend's attitude about sorority girls (who are her age, btw). they keep trying to recruit her, and she just says she wouldn't want to be in "close quarters" with them.