jollyasalways

Andrew: I'm in the SDAP at MCCN, too! Congrats on your graduation. You went out right when I came on. We're almost half way there now. Time flies. Psych with Delores right now. She's so funny. I wondered what you ended up doing about moving out west and finding an internship or employment. Unit? Atmosphere? Salary (if that's not too personal)? I'm putting my feelers out there now to see where and what's available to us newbies. I'm really interested in internships. That seems to be the way to go to get up-to-speed in a new place. Congrats, again! Farrell

Thanks for both of your input. I'm excited to see what happens after graduation...where I end up...what I'll be doing! This is such a great profession.

CarolinaPooh: That was a terrific post! Thank you for all the insight and information. Also, thanks for correcting my Portsmouth goof. For some reason I always get that name mixed up. It's amazing how similar your experiences have been to the other military nurses I've talked to over time. I've yet to find any nurse who is unhappy with his or her choice to go military. That amazes me (and sometimes scares me) because it does seem like a really good deal...rewarding...exciting...benefits...options...etc. What's the catch? Every time I break it down to facts and figures, it seems like a "no duh" decision. I think there's a pay cut overall and there's a distinct lack of overtime pay or shift differentials, but that balances out with the stipends and the fact that health care/insurance is not taken out of your checks! I'm lucky to have 3 reserve and active-duty (on break to get BSN) students in my class. They are all very positive about their experiences thus far, too. There are so many benefits to dedicating yourself to Uncle Sam... Free health care Retirement in 20 years (I'm 32, so that's still super awesome) World travel (I hope!) Hospital ship assignment (I hope!) Better working environment (I've heard that from SO many, just like you CarolinaPooh) Camaraderie Discounts Stipends Vacation Time (40 days/year?) You take those pro's with these con's... Unpaid overtime Yuck duty assignments A loss of some freedoms being a part of the govt Itchy uniforms ) (I can't think of any others) I'm a chiropractor and an acupuncturist, as well. I left private practice because marketing and practice building made me unhappy. Sometimes I felt pressure to sell out just to keep the doors open. I just wanted to do the patient care part of my job. That's what I love! The stress level of owning my own practice fresh out of school and not having a mentor to turn to sent me into my own private hell. I ended up in the hospital with stress induced atrial fib (I'm a healthy girl and the ticker is strong -- but it was warning me). So, I sold the practice and got the heck out. I got myself into an accelerated BSN course within a year. I chose nursing because the nurses that took care of me in the hospital were amazing...and I have many nurses in my family who are shining examples. I hope I can be that same person for my own patients in the years to come. I also hope I can still practice one or two days a week as a chiropractor when I'm an RN in the military. Does anyone know? Obviously it depends on where I'm stationed and what civilian clinics are close by. It's a part of who I am and I want to maintain that. Plus, there are chiro's on many military bases nowadays and someday I'll be right there (how convenient) to jump in and help. ) I'm babbling. I'll stop. Thanks, again, for the input, CarolinaPooh. Everyone have a great weekend! :)

I am in a psych rotation right now in my BSN program and I'm enjoying every minute! The quality time you get with the patients and the positive effect you can have is encouraging and the sense of humor in the units seems really accepting and kind. I'd like to work with eating disorders or with substance abuse (I think) if I was to get into psych nursing after graduation. My questions are -- - What is the pay like in comparison to a staff nurse in MedSurg or ED? - What are the pay and benefit differences between state facilities and private? - Are there jobs out there in psych right now? - Once you're a psych nurse, how easy/hard is it to change specialties back into acute care settings? Do you lose some of your skills? - What are staffing ratios like? I heard a geri/alzheimers floor can be 25:1 plus 2 CNA's. Is that true? For alzheimers, ADL care duties can be extensive. That ratio seems a bit insane. ??? Thanks for the input! I'm really enjoying my time in psych. :)

I am a BSN student, too. I graduate in January. For the past year, I've been working with a Navy recruiter. I chose the Navy because it felt right. Although, I hear that the best branch for women is the Air Force. That's followed by the Navy and then the Army. My sources are varied and have been from forums like this, current and retired officers and friends/family input. As stupid as it might sound, I chose the Navy because I like to be out on the water and I like the base locations the best. However, it seems like nowadays, no matter which service you're in, if you're a nurse working in the big hospitals, bases and the USNS Comfort and Mercy (hospital ships), you'll be in a mix from all branches. My application for the Navy Nursing Corps (their student program) was turned down because the process took 6 months and it was late February until it was completed...too late! Oh well. Like you, I am considering direct commission after graduation. I will admit, the mucky process, along with the surprise retirement of my recruiter (after a month of not returning my calls or emails) have all really frustrated me and put me off of the whole thing. Here's what I know about joining the Navy as an officer RN: - 3 or 4-yr commitment (I forget right now which one is with the bonus) - $30,000 sign on bonus ($23k after tax-ish) - 01 pay level w/ less than 2 years service = $2745/mo before taxes (2010 pay scale - 2011 goes up by est. $40) - Housing stipends are varied by your post location (cost-of-living) and is enough to cover standard rent (nothing extravagant) and maybe have some left over to put toward bills. Stipends are not taxed. - Loan repayment of up to $40k (28 after tax) is potentially available for all loans that led to your current RN degree (my recruiter mentioned that this is a "flexible" rule) and taking the repayment lengthens your contract 2 years. - For the first 2 years of service as an RN, my recruiter said I would go to one of the big three hospitals (San Diego, Bethesda or Plymouth, VA) to gain experience. After the first 2 years they will potentially reassign me somewhere else. The recruiter and the officers that I've spoken with all agree that the Navy will do their best to send me to the spot that I choose as preference...however, it is the military and therefore, I should be prepared to be sent wherever they say. A trip into the "sandbox" should also be expected if my specialty is of need (trauma, ER, psych, etc). A GREAT website for information on the details, benefits and such of the military is Military.com Mobile | News . They have all the pay scales, stipends by location and other bene's listed out. I'd love to hear someone in active duty in the forum compare the quality of day-to-day life in military nursing vs staff/civilian nursing again. I've heard good things before, but I think I still balk. It's so different than what I've known up until now. I want to know: -- that work life is not rigid and cold. -- that the responsibility of patient care along with the leadership roles we are assigned to grow with are not overwhelming. -- that the patient to nurse ratio's are decent. -- that they don't work you overtime much. -- that the housing stipends are more than adequate to cover rent and utilities (single girl living alone and simply). -- that the promotions are frequent and I can make more than $4k/mo quickly (I've seen the payscale grades and I know what I'll come in at, but I need more to pay on my student loans). Hope this helps! :)

Hi there. I'm a nursing student, too. So, I had to deal with the same litany of vaccinations, including a start and restart of the Hep B series. In your case, I bet you'll need to start the series over since your original vaccination was done 7 years ago. Your immune system may not "remember" the virus. They just want to make sure you're immune system is familiar with and protective against the Hep B virus before you get into the health care setting. You could get lab work (a blood titer) done to check for levels of antibodies circulating against Hep B from your previous vaccine, but I would say that would be unlikely considering the time frame. Plus, the lab titer is several hundred dollars (unless you have insurance) and would be more expensive than just getting the series done again. The Hep B vaccination is a three step process. The first shot is followed by the second shot in one month...and then a third shot 6 months from the second. I had to start mine over because I didn't want to have a titer done and my second shot got delayed by several months. I wanted to be safe (not sorry!) considering the amount of blood and body fluids we are exposed to as nurses. You might ask your school if their school nurse provides the vaccinations in-house. Ours does, and it is significantly cheaper than going to my physician. ($50 per shot) Hope that helps! )

Thank you all for posting the information on this thread. It has been helpful. Your experiences are invaluable. After nearly a year of researching posts like this, talking to my recruiter, talking to other civilian nurses and military nurses, I haven't found much to dissuade from the military. If you are willing to travel, want to advance your clinical skills and education consistently and are okay with deployments, you will be happy in the military. Is that a fair statement? I am a BSN student and am finishing my application process for the Navy Nurse Candidate Program (1 more year of schooling). This is the moment of decision, and I'm having minor cold feet. So, I'm trying to gather every last bit of info and reconfirm the old. #1) Will I go in as an 0-1 paygrade without prior experience in the military? #2) I also have a doctorate and previous Bachelors from a different health care field. My recruiter said this could get me in at a higher officer level. Any experience with that? #3) Work hours - I've heard anywhere from 40 to 80 hours a week. Some of the interviews said I could expect 60 hrs on a regular basis. My direction will be toward Labor and Delivery. Can anyone share their specific work hours experience? #4) I have a dog. A very special dog (aren't they all?). I don't want to neglect her at home. Aside from hiring a dogwalker to take her out on potty walks with my 12 hr schedule, any ideas on quality of life for me and my pup if I join the Navy? Thanks for any info. Be well.

Oh, let me tell you! I've been in the process of applying for the Navy Nursing Candidate Program for several months now. Like everyone else, it seems that this is a drawn out process. I had a HORRIBLE time reaching my recruiter in the beginning, but after I actually started completing the application documents and went in for the physical exam at MEPS, he magically became reachable. Now he practically answers on the first ring! I read in another post that someone thinks the Navy makes you "work" for it and prove your commitment by being hard to reach. That may very well be. It fits. I put my time in and now I get access. Hmmm... The Navy nursing recruitment quotas were filled easily last year, but they refreshed in October. So, now is a good time to apply. I'm entering an accelerated (one-year) BSN program next month. It is the moment of truth right now. I'm debating Navy vs staff nurse and traveling nurse after a few years. There are so many benefits to Navy nursing that it's difficult to say no to it. I honestly haven't found a single person who advises against it. Can that be? Even traveling nurses on a forum all suggested hands down to do the Navy. My biggest concern is the obvious - you are basically signing control of your life over to the govt for a number of years. I'd like to direct my career into L&D and eventually midwifery. Both are much sought after. L&D is always needed in the military hospitals (according to the Navy RN's I've spoken with). They say they never regretted it. Some even say they couldn't imagine nursing in a civilian hospital now. The Navy offers unbelievable benefits - health care, continuing education paid for, housing expenses and food stipends paid, travel opportunities, awesome hospital locations. It's a big decision, but I think it comes with big rewards, too. Either way, the nursing profession is probably the most flexible and dependable profession available. Good luck!