oaktown2

I also did NCP several years ago. Very happy to have gone that route, though it was long and had a lot of bumps. Depending on where you are, the chiefs don't always know much about the program. And if they tell you they are full for the year, ask about starting the process for the next year, things change and you never know when that will happen, so if you are prepared, you may be able to take advantage of that. At one point I was told that they were done and then a few months later received a call saying that they needed me to go for an interview the following week. So if you want it (or even think you might) keep pushing for it. You should have plenty of time to figure out if you really do want it!

Maybe? For me, no, the process took a full year and yes, I did go through NCP. The first thing to learn is the Navy (and the rest of the military) moves at it's own pace and that pace is not necessarily yours. Each year there are a certain number of slots for NCP and once they are filled for that fiscal year, they are done. However, that doesn't mean that they necessarily fill all the slots at once. And they want a range of candidate graduation dates so everyone doesn't come in at once. (And they will space you out anyway - you might get selected in January, but not enlist until May and then you may graduate in May but not go to ODS until August.) I believe that the board for NCP initially meets in Oct and then they will have supplementary boards as needed, so the earliest you might find out that you have been selected in Nov, but things change. There is always the fiscal situation which can slow things down. I'm not trying to discourage you from applying, but I am trying to give you a realistic picture of what you may encounter. It may work out for your timetable perfectly, but it very likely may not. If you want to join the military as a nurse and you are flexible about where you live and what you do, go for it, and if someone gives you a no, try another recruiter or another branch. Military nursing can provide some amazing experiences and opportunities.

I was unable to start my application for NCP until I had an acceptance from a nursing school - I don't know if that is a requirement or up to the recruiter's discretion as it is a lot of work if you aren't eligible. That said, it can be a slow process, so I wouldn't for a moment count on being accepted prior to your start of nursing school. As for say in your first placement, it completely depends on your command and their needs at the time. There were people who started in peds and nicu from my group (though nicu is more rare), but I guess if that is your main interest I would sort of question why you wanted to join, unless it is just to help pay for school. Being a peds or nicu nurse can really limit your options in the military and therefore you may end up doing something different because that's where they need you. Though you probably do have more options as a peds nurse. If you are ok with that, great. If not, I would look at other ways to help fund your education.

New grad as in direct accession and not via the Nurse Candidate Program? We are getting new ENSs at our command and so they are coming from somewhere, but not sure if there is still a hold on DA or not. Best bet really is to contact a medical recruiter. I don't know where you are located, but I would just call up your local recruiting office and ask how to get in touch with a medical recruiter. I'm fairly certain that is how I got ahold of them. Of course, whether or not they call you back may depend on how full their pipeline is. Things change though, so once you have that number give them a call periodically and see if something has changed. Have you graduated from nursing school?

J-Diddy - I obviously can't comment on Sw88tpea's experience, but I am currently 2 years in (and at this point I plan to continue) but I know plenty of people who get out after their first tour. I've been in San Diego the whole time and no super interesting opportunities, yet. For a lot of people it just isn't the right fit. The military isn't for everyone and if you want to succeed, you do need to be willing to do the extra things that make your fitreps look good. A lot of people don't want to do that because they have other priorities. That doesn't mean that it has to be all work and no play, but work comes first. When staffing is short (which it frequently is), military RNs are the ones who have to fill in. (We're cheap, civilian RNs require overtime.) For people who want to have a family, the military can be a hard choice. You also don't necessarily get to chose where you want to work. I started off on a unit that was not my first choice, but it was where the Navy needed me and I am now having a hard time trying to move to where I want to go, because staffing is tight. It's frustrating. But I'm not yet ready to give up, because I know there are some fabulous opportunities in the Navy.

I've lived in both Sacramento and San Diego and cost of living is definitely higher in SD. Jobs are competitive in both places and I agree with people's advice on waiting until you have a job lined up, unless your husband has a job and you can live on that salary. But he's right to be leery, CA is an expensive state from housing costs to car registration. I've heard that some hospitals (mainly Kaiser) will no longer look at you if you are coming from a skilled nursing facility (and it could be a false rumor). We have a lot of people and a lot of nursing programs, so there is definitely competition. However, I've also heard from recruiters that they like a diversity of where their nurses came from, so that could work to your advantage. SD and Sac are both fairly laid back, but they are definitely different. SD is a beach town, whereas Sac is central CA with the delta and some lakes (though not much water right now) and a couple of hours from the mountains. So you may also want to think about what kinds of outside activities that you and your family like. I have enjoyed living in both cities, but they are different.

You first need to decide which is more important - being a nurse in the Navy or being a FNP in the Navy? If you are ok with the idea of being any kind of nurse in the Navy then you can apply for ROTC or the Nurse Candidate Program. You can search on this site to find discussions of the differences between the two. If you really want to be a FNP in the Navy then you need to get your BSN and then do a FNP program and then join the Navy. You also have the option of getting experience as a nurse before a FNP program (probably a good idea) and getting experience as a FNP prior to joining the Navy (which may be necessary depending on how competitive things are). If you do join the Navy as a RN, that doesn't mean that won't be able to do a FNP program in the Navy, but there are no guarantees. The only way to guarantee that you will be a FNP in the Navy is to join as a FNP. But as a nurse in the Navy, you do have the option of applying for duty under instruction and if selected, the Navy will pay for your program or you can do your initial service commitment and use your GI benefits to pay for a NP program. Whatever path you choose, you will need to be competitive. So work hard, get good grades and participate in extra curricular activities.

I echo SoldierNurse22's comments with the exception of one small detail - if you aren't NROTC, your training is 5 weeks.

1. I can't really remember the specific questions I was asked, but I am pretty sure they were along the lines of why Navy, why nursing, what do you want to do with your career? It's pretty much like any job interview, though I believe they did ask if I had any issue with being deployed. 2. I believe that fluctuates, but couldn't tell you. That would be a question for a recruiter. 3. How likely - well, the majority of nurses aren't. But that doesn't mean that you wouldn't be deployed. It all kind of depends on the need and what is going on. If you really don't wish to be deployed, then maybe military nursing isn't the best fit. If you want to be deployed then try and get into a specialty that might deploy more (ED, ICU, OR), but any specialty can deploy. 4. No, you are not required to live on base when stationed in the US. Overseas can be different. 5. So as a new grad, you don't automatically go to Med-Surg. You can go to Psych, L&D, ICU (rare, but can happen) or M-S. Typically you are 18 months on one unit and then you may rotate to another, depending on the needs. However, you can often cross train on your days off if you really want to show that you are interested in going to another unit (though you still may have to do your 18 mos) 6. I did, but a another student at my school didn't. You give them your top three choices initially. After your first duty station, it really depends on what's available and as jfratian said certain specialties are only at certain places - which may mean that you get to become more flexible and not that you would only go to those places. 7. The nurse corps definitely is mainly made up of women, though we have far more male nurses than on the civilian side, which can bring a better balance. I've not had any issues and feel that I am treated fairly.

If you are NCP, all you do is go to school. Your job is to maintain your 3.0 GPA and be physically fit. Once you graduate, you to go ODS (Officer Development School). BOLC is Army, not Navy. As SoldierNurse22 states, NROTC is a completely separate program. We had some NROTC folks in our ODS class, so it may vary on whether or not they send you. Not really sure why these folks had to go and they clearly had learned more than we knew. But it is a way to meet some people before heading to your first duty station!

As a new grad, it is possible to get into the L&D area. I am Navy. I went in wanting med/surg and ended up in postpartum. However, I had two friends who came in at the same time and one ended up in antepartum and the other L&D. Generally speaking, once you enter the L&D area you stay there so eventually I would move over to L&D. That said, it all depends on the needs of the Navy. So if your goal is to be a CNM and you can't see yourself anywhere else, the military probably isn't the best place to be. I have also heard that there are a bunch of people who went to med/surg first and want to get to L&D and can't. You just never know where you will end up. But I wouldn't trade my job in the Navy for a civilian one, it just depends on your priorities.

Does any one know when the board meets for DUINS selection? I am also looking at CRNA and trying to figure out my timeline.

nrryan - I had heard that from my recruiter as well. Just keep in mind that things change and if this is something you want, keep in touch with your recruiter. When I was applying at one point my recruiter said things were dead and then a month later it was a go and a rush to finish up my kit. The budget situation isn't great right now, but people are always leaving. Check in with your recruiter every so often and you may get the opportunity to apply! Good luck!

I would definitely try for NCP and then if that didn't work out, try for DA. Things change all the time, so keep in touch with your health care recruiter. Regarding the money for NCP, you will get the $10k if you are accepted, and then $1000 for each month that you are in the program, but unless you are in the program for two years, you won't get the $24k. I started applying to the program as soon as I had an acceptance to nursing school (which was a 2 year program for me) and still only managed to get a year of NCP stipend. Things just don't move quickly in the government. But I didn't apply for the money. If you are accepted, you receive the stipend and bonus as if you were receiving a paycheck, so you can use the money for anything you want. And at the end of the year you receive your W2, just like with a paycheck! :-) In terms of extra activities, think of applying to NCP in the same way that you applied for college or a job. You want to do things that will make you stand out, show initiative and leadership skills, anything that is going to make someone say, we think this person will make a good naval officer. Good luck with it. Last I heard they weren't looking at new grads, but again, things change, so if this is what you really want, keep going for it and don't let them tell you no.

Only BSN.