JDARMYFNP

I work 8 hours/day when stateside 12 hours/day when deployed. 30 days vacation is awesome. There is actually more off time because of training holidays. I would say we have about 50 days vacation when you add it all up. Very nice part about active duty. 66H positions... I would work in a MEDCEN, and try to get into the ER. Keep your head low. Don't try to change a lot in your work environment. If your boss asks you to do something, do it. No questions asked, and do it quickly. I recommend never giving your opinion or divulging too much personal information. Be the quiet soldier that everyone likes. Praise people around you. Make them feel good about working with you. If you don't like your assignment... TELL NO ONE. Call HRC and work with them, don't ever tell your command things you don't like or suggest improvements. They will blackball you. I like the ER myself. When I'm not at work, I am out hiking, exercising, reading, taking pictures... so on. My thoughts (yes, I'm blunt). It is nice to have a voice here. At work... in the Army... my mouth stays shut and I try to make myself invisible unless I am called on. Let the political nurses fight it out with themselves. It is a losing battle to engage them... believe me.

The process takes time. I think it is good preparation for what is required to be in the military, patience. Flexibility is also key. Finally, I would say that you have learned one of the most important lessons - don't volunteer information. Keep to yourself. Show your peers and commanders only the perfect side of your career and off-duty life. In the military it is important to: 1) Be patient 2) Be flexible 3) Offer no opinions unless asked, and then don't ever give your opinion - just say something the is benign and that supports the commander's thoughts and ideas. 4) Support your commanders 5) Don't show peers or commanders your personal life or personal thoughts. feelings, beliefs, so on. Good luck and I hope everything works out

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You should be very aware... this is the Army mentality. It is 1984 in the flesh. If you stick out, 'off with your head'. The idea is conformity, allegiance... you must echo the person to your right and left, otherwise you are not a 'good' officer...

It's not a problem... I worked with AIT soldiers and saw many of them with asthma - although the reg 40-501 states differently. Here's my question... MOP 4, 120 degrees outside... dust, sand... evac wash... Is it safe to have asthma and be in these conditions when you have an asthma attack? I think the army is answer is 'don't ask, don't tell'.

Sounds like a first amendment issue... This is a public forum...

I am an Active Duty FNP. I will tell you the Army behind the times as far as how they allow NPs to practice. It is a big pain in the rear end to go to school while in the Army. My advice, get out, go to school... then come back in if you want. The Army boasts about enlarged scope of practice and doing cool stuff, however the reality is, you will work in primary care - taking care of family members, a sprinkling of soldiers, and the fearless retiree. PAs do the soldier care and are the most respected around the G.I.s I noticed this when I was deployed. After a month, one of the medics said - you're a pretty good PA... doc, I've learned a lot. When I told him I was a nurse, he said - No way... if you're a nurse you need to be stabbing everyone around here in the back and flipping out every other day. Army nurses eat their young... after you become a major... they tend to leave you alone, but 2LT - CPT watch out...

I went to Frontier. I am also an Army FNP. I will tell you Army FNPs are only for Primary Care. They don't do ER, ICU, etc. I will also tell you, a RN will be your boss... and likely have no idea of what you really do. Which makes it really fun when they rate you. In other cases I've seen your RN boss will think they could do your job better although they are not providers. JD