Vikingkitten

Was NCOIC of TMC 7 and Platoon Sgt. of HHC 1st Medical Bn.( no longer in existence) back in the 90's. Had a lot of field time there and it was a good post for training. We had the Nursing staff and physicans in the field for their annual Field Training. Not sure if they do that anymore. Hospital is small, but busy. Do yourself a favor and don't go near Junction City: even though it had been "cleaned up" some years ago, it was still a "Military Town." Spend your time in Manhattan and the KSU crowd. The housing is better, as is the town. There's lots to do there, especially if you like outdoor activities. Topeka is only about an hour down the road and K.C. an hour farther on. It's relatively cheap to live there. I spent 30 years in the area. Enjoy and PM me if I can be of any help, L.T.!. MSG Ski, Ret.

I didn't have much trouble getting into my BSN program: I jokingly referred to myself as the token Male! School was definitely more stressful. By the time I went to school I was an experienced Army LPN, medic and paramedic and medical instructor. The stress in school was because of the several "Instructors" who stated by word and deed that us "men and minorities had no place in nursing". There were 7 of us in our class in that "category" that started. Me, being the stubborn Pole that I am, was the only one of the 7 that graduated. I definitely was too old for that crap. Besides, by that time , I had seen too many things in my life that would have sent any of them screaming home to their Mommies to take any of them seriously. Have posted this before, somewhere. Just my $.02.

Sniper, You already graduated from the most stressful school you'll ever attend! Congrats on almost being done! Some of us FOGs want to retire some day! Former Sniper

OK, I guess I won't be applying to Walden anytime soon. My wife did go through something similar when she applied to a graduate program . She was then in her 30's, we had been married for years, served 12+ years in the Army, and her previous collegiate career happened in her late teens and was less than stellar. She had to write some additional letters and etc. She ended up #1 in the class, Kappa Phi Kappa etc........ But, she never had to go through as much as you did, Green. Sounds like a place to stay away from, for sure.

My $.02: -Instead of thorough and prudent nurse,how about Professional Nurse. -Too many "I"s. 'Nuff said. -Definitely eliminate the last "nonjudgemental " paragraph! -Don't "hope". "expect" and "plan". Use concrete words and ideas to convey your goals. - Experience- Good. - Length- Good.

Just some thoughts I had when reading it: -"Incredible Institution"- sounds a little vague and shallow. How about Nationally Recognised (is it?) Institution; Award winning; Well thought of;Innovative. You might have to do some homework on the institution. - 'Way too long! Not enough about selling yourself. Why are you the best Candidate? -Intention and examples of excelling-Good. -GPA-Good -Willingness to travel-Good. -Pre reqs met-Good. Just my $.02.

I'm with those who say not to use that supervisor again. The job market is hard enough these days, and losing a position to a lukewarm recommendation isn't what you planned for. Use other supervisors and co-workers. Just my $.02.

I was a Flight Medic in the Army back in the 70's. Loved flying too and the hard work it entailed. Of course, this was in the days before every town and city had an Air Ambulance Service of some kind, so we did a lot of flying for civilians. Lots of transport, some critical care and TA calls in some very remote areas of Texas and New Mexico. I still think the military is the best way to go for training and experience. I know some very experienced Nurses and Paramedics that have been trying for years to break into Flight Nursing as civilians. Anyway, some of the best experiences you'll ever have! Good luck!

Mine is a combination of my codename when I worked for an initialed Government agency and the second half is from a Martial arts class I was in when the Instructor told me "a kitten could have hit me harder than that!" Well, I was holding back some. Anyway, saw a very weird music video with cats running around in Viking helmets. I thought it was cool. I know, I'm weird......

DON'T pick Meditech; it's expensicve, it's cumbersome, it's not user friendly.......... it's just the worse! Try SIS- Surgical Information System, or ORMIS. I know they are OR systems, but are available for the rest of the hospital. Just don't get Meditech.The staff will hate it, it takes forever to do simple charting on it......... Sorry, got in a loop. Just my $.02.

"I have to put my hand where?" From a 2 1/2 year (male) L&D nurse who stilll thinks it was the best experience of my 30+ year career! btw, not serious about the previous quote.

Wow! Pelican Bay! The scumbags of the scumbags are there, as I'm sure your Uncle told you. Had an experience with an inmate there in a Surgical setting at a nearby Hospital once, and all I can say is you Corrections Nurses are the gutsiest Nurses I've ever met!

Hi, sorry I haven't been on in awhile, again. You aren't bugging me, so don't worry about it. As for the perks, well, that's a matter of opinion. If you like the increasing responsibility with the increasing rank, then , yes, it's worth it. It was for me. Plus, the more time you put in, the more you are going to learn, and the more you'll be able to do. Learning the Management and Leadership skills is also a lifetime task, which will serve you well for the rest of your career, even when you leave the military. Plus, as I've said before, as a military nurse, you'll be doing things your civilian counterparts couldn't even dream of! As for as assignment length, I think it's more dependent on whether or not your specialty is a shortage one or not. For example, years ago, the Army had a severe shortage of OB nurses. The usual length of assignment for OB nurses was only about a year and a half, while most other specialties were 3-3 1/2 years. Your Recriter/Branch Counselor would know more about the specifics. I started my career as a Paratrooper, and so slept on my share of various terrain before changing to Medical branch, but if your goal is clean sheets, lattes and a soft life, then I guess the Air Force is for you! LOL, just pulling your chain! Good luck and keep me informed! MSG Ski,Ret.

I'm going with those of you who say "it's about the patient"! I can remember being assigned to do a D and C on a pt. because the assigned nurse "dosn't believe in abortion". I don't either, but it isn't about me in that case, it's about the Patient! It does seem kind of strange for one with your religious tenants to want to be a nurse (although, Welcome to the Profession and congrats!) and we do need more of us in the world. Kind of like a pilot that gets airsick or a sailor that gets seasick. Just my $.02.