SFC JIMENEZ

NBerry, ROTC (if you can get in) is a great option. The reason I think its great is because you have a CHOICE. When you graduate you can go either Active Duty, Reserve or National Guard. Full tuition and either a Full time or Part time committment. What city/state are you in?

Yes, Im checking to see if they would accept an ADN/ASN RN who has a Bach. degree as a 70B/67A (Health Care Admin. Asst. which is an Officer). If they do then you can apply for the STRAP if it is offered to those who are not a 66 series. I am checking but I thought it might be a way for those interested to come in. Just a thought.

Yes, for those interested in the IPAP here is the website: http://www.usarec.army.mil/armypa/ BUT, for most RNs - getting your NP is a better option (opinion of majority RNs I deal with) - more pros than cons. ALSO, if you happen to have another degree in ANYTHING but only have a ASN/ADN and would like to serve here is another possible way. Come in as a 70B /67A Health Care Admin Asst. and serve as a Platoon Leader/Section Leader until you finish your BSN and then apply for a RN position. It gets you in the door faster and I will check to see if while youre serving in a Health Care Admin position IF youre eligible to apply for STRAP : )

ALCON, Things have changed drastically since my Feb post : ( For Active Duty they now require 2 years experience before you can apply for a position. For Reserve, they are no longer taking ADN/ASN RNs. The STRAP is still available, but ONLY for current Reserve RNs who dont have a BSN. I also wish that they would update the information on the website. I know I have sent up several requests (as have other Recruiters) but it is a slow process, why? I have no idea. From what Ive been told its a seperate department and the site is taken care of by a civilian contractor. For those out there like Josh who would like to join, you have to contact a school (cant refer you to a specific one) that has the RN to BSN bridge program. There are some RN to MSN programs as well. Schools like UOP (Phoenix) and West Coast (CA.) offer the BSN/MSN programs. There are numerous other schools but these two and others similiar to them dont require as much class time as a Cal ST or University. Good luck and hope to see some of you in boots one day : ) Josh, What part of the country are you in?

Not sure about the 50. I was told there was 100. Personally, I think you have a great shot at getting in. But, thats just me : )

Who is your Recruiter out there?

I didnt mean to insinuate only a few slots, only that we put a few Reserve RNs on Active Duty. Last year there were 100 Active Duty Nursing slots available. I presume that it will be the same this year.

ArmyRn, Each year we get new slots for Active/Reserve. This current FY we put quite a few Reserve Nurses on Active Duty. We have a few scheduled for the new FY. New RNs/Reserve RNs/PS RNs are all competing for the same slots. What OP??

Nope, never been stationed in Hawaii : ( What is the name of the AMEDD Recruiter you are working with?

ARmyRN, With your age and service years you are good. Are you in Hawaii?? I see that you stated 66H, are you currently in the Reserve?

ArmyRN, Every Recruiter has their opinion but I dont like using the word "gamble" when talking to a potential applicant. I just put in a 49 yr old PA who had 13 yrs prior service. When putting together packets there is no seperate board/pool for PS or NPS applicants. All are boarded collectively and based on their individual merit. I think the Recruiter may have been thinking about your age when he/she said it was a gamble. What is your current position? Med Surg/ER/ICU etc... Also, how old are you?

The NJ AMEDD location is Picatinny orificenal NJ and the office number is 973 724 7771 and the name is SFC McMillion, good luck. Just to let you know, there are new requirements for Active Duty Nurses. You have to have 2 years experience. For the Reserves they still only require 6 months. Good luck.

The name is SSG Michael Griffen and his number is 877 358 9589 Just tell him that SFC Jimenez from Calif. gave you his info.

The nearest AMEDD Nurse Recruiter to Knoxville, TN is SFC Morrison and he can be reached at 615 874 5006. I apologize to both of you for not getting back sooner. Good luck :

The nearest AMEDD Nurse Recruiter to Oklahoma City is SFC Houchens and he can be reached at 405 670 5958. The Station Commander there is SFC Phillips. Hopes this helps : )

The previous list was for the West. This is for the East.

Here are some addresses/ph #s

Which part of Oklahoma City? West? East?

Elizabeth, You may want to disclose where your at so that those interested may have an opportunity for growth and advancement, because at the hospitals where I visit and recruit from that is the norm.

LPN, If you or anyone would like to find out where the nearest Army Health Care Recruiter is, just indicate CITY/STATE and I will give you their number/location.

BABE RN, When you refer to "batchmates" I take it that you are referring to your BSN school mates? Am I correct? If indeed it is that then your previous school mates would have had to received an equivalent BSN or a MSN from an accredited school here in the US. In order for a school to be accredited for the Army they have to be accredited through CCNE or NLN. There are no Philippine Nursing schools that are CCNE/NLN accredited. If you have any questions you can always ask them here or you can call me at 877 725 1399.

Babe RN, What nursing school did you graduate from? When you worked in the ED, was that as a RN?

Jeager, Here are the answers to your questions. 1. As a brand new 2d LT, as long as your Head Nurse is confident that you meet the qualifications and experience you can become a Charge Nurse in as little as 6 months. For Civilian sector it takes many years to get the opportunity to become a Charge Nurse. As an Army Nurse you will get advancements to the rank of CPT in less than 4 years as long as there are no UCMJ or negative evaluations against you. 2. The military is ranked structured and based upon the level of expertise. There are times where a Nurse outranks a Dr but it is a team effort. While the Nurse may outrank the Dr. when it comes to military customs inside the OR room (for example) the Dr is in charge. 3. The military will train you as to how they will use you. They will provide the education based upon your Nursing role or job assigment. 4. Your career is monitored by your specific career manager. The Army will provide education for advancement, for example: attaining your Masters degree (and sometimes PHD) while serving on Active Duty. 5. During deployment you will be assigned to a hard structured facility (Hospital) doing what you were educated to do as a Nurse. Monetary wise if you are deployed in Afghan/Iraq it is tax free plus you will receive danger pay/hazzard pay and seperation pay if you have dependants. 6. Pay ranges widely based upon zip code of assignment, specialty (OR, ICU etc..) and rank. It is really hard to predict what your pay will be without knowing where you will be assigned and if you have a specialty. Every specialty Nurse gets a bonus but you have to take and pass a board certification. You do not need to be board certified to serve - only if you want the bonus pay. 7. The military is all about traveling : ) As a traveling Nurse you may not be provided health benefits or given full housing allowance which you will receive in the Army. 8. With 3 years or more of experience you will be coming in as a 1st LT instead of a 2d LT. Next series. 1. Danger is not a factor between the branches. You might be working jointly with different branches either on Active Duty or while deployed. 2. You will never experience deployment patient care (trauma) in the private sector. This will only enhance your resume and make you more marketable. You will learn how to work under pressure. 3. Promotion after O4 is dependant on the number of LTC and COL that are slotted for Active Duty. 4. Coming from an Army Nurse Corps Officer, (Major, OR) quality of life is much better than private sector with few exceptions such as hardship tours while you are deployed. 5. The Army does offer a larger amount of slots for education benefits for advancement as well as Leadership schools. 6. The Army Nurse Anesth. program is in the TOP 5 of the nation. 7. The Army still offers new grads the opportunity to be Commissioned in the Army Nurse Corps. 6 months are required for US Army Reserve. This past year they were mainly targeting experienced Nurses but as the norm there are positions for new grads as well. This year looks as if there will be more openings for new grads come October. I happen to have a Major (OR Nurse) assigned to my station and he gave me the information that I provided for you. If you should have any questions you can always contact me at 877 725 1399. As always, you will be working with your local AMEDD Recruiter should you decide to join the Army Nurse Corps. I just happen to be lucky and have a Nurse assigned to our station and he is more than willing to speak to you if you need more clarification. Not all AMEDD stations have a Nurse assigned to them. Just give me a call and I will provide you with his number.

Kramer, Ive talked to others in your situation and they have contacted schools like University of Phoenix and West Coast University (private schools) to see how much more they have to do to get a BSN. Some have been told it would only take as little as 6-8 months, others were longer. If its over a year then you might as well get your MSN. Google NLN (National League of Nursing) and CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education) and see what accredited schools are in your area. The only US accredited schools are based in the US and US territories.

Kramer, In order to be eligible for a position as a Armed Forces Nurse (Army, Air Force, Navy) you need to be a graduate of an accredited (CCNE) US Nursing school. You would have to either contact an accredited Nursing school here in the US and see how many of your credits are transferable and how many more you need to get a BSN from here OR you could go for your MSN. Once you have either one THEN you could take the next step. There are other qualifications (medical,legal,moral) that you also have to meet. Where are you located? I could let you know where the nearest AMEDD Recruiter is located. Good luck.