NBerry

That is very promising and good advice, thank you! It's Winn Army Hospital on Ft. Stewart, pretty large hospital with OB/GYN (one of the toughest clinicals to get in our area). Thanks again!

Hello, I start NP school this Fall and am also starting a new contracting job as an ED RN on a military installation. I have previously completed an internship with my BHS degree in the same hospital. I was wondering if anyone familiar with working in a military hospital or VA clinic knows whether or not they accept civilian NP students for preceptorships? If so, does anyone know if there is a certain way of obtaining a preceptorship on a military installation or within a VA clinic? Thank you!!!!

Hey all, My name is Nora and I have been an RN, BSN for just 7 months now. I am am ER nurse currently for a Cardiac/ Stroke Magnet Hospital. I am very much interested in becoming a CRNA in the next 5 years or so. This January I will be taking a Bio Chem course while working, since I still need this according to most CRNA programs. I am also a prior service 68W combat medic. I am 31 year old now. My question is, do I have to commission as an RN and then apply to Military CRNA programs or can I get CRNA in my commission (directly) just by meeting the requirements of the program? I plan to complete another year or so as an ER nurse, possibly less if I can get into the NeuroICU before then. After my year of ICU I would like to just walk in, meet the reqs and commission directly to go to CRNA school. Of course, the Army was never that easy to walk into so I'm wondering what the realistic way of going about this would be. :) Thanks!

Thank you!!!! I definitely will put my application in and hopefully get an interview. This particular hospital requires a 4 years contract for new grads with $8k payback if your break it so that causes a little bit of hesitancy but if they are willing to cross train, like you mentioned, then the contract wouldn't be so bad. Thank you for the advice.. I will definitely throw an application in just to see how it goes! :)

Congrats!! You will have to post how things go! I am a new grad nurse, with almost 2 years as a tech in the ED. I want to get into L&D nursing so bad but my ED has offered me the job there and no L&Ds here are offering positions to new grads. I'm hoping that I can at least gain valuable skills and experience before applying for a mother/ baby or L&D job. Good luck in your new job!

Hey everyone, I'm a new grad nurse and I have been in the ED as a tech throughout nursing school. I have been offered a job as a nurse there but another hospital is hiring new grads for a residency in a High Risk Perinatal unit. I really want to become a labor and delivery nurse but I'm not sure which of these two jobs would be best in preparing me for a future in labor and delivery? Any advice would be very helpful!!! Thank you!!! :)

Hi, I'm graduating with my BSN next week (yeay!!) and have been working as a nursing tech in an ED for about a year and a half. I was offered a job at the ED right after graduation and thought this would be a good experience because I am already familiar with the people and the environment however my heart is not all in ED nursing. I really want to to become a labor and delivery nurse within the next few years. I know that the ED will make sure that I get ACLS and PALS but I am wondering how easy (or hard) this transition might be. Can anyone give me advice, like how long would I have to work at the ED before I can move on to applying for an L&D job? Are there any other certifications I should get before applying? Any information is very helpful!! Thank you!! :)

I guess with the Guard it probably varies by state. Although, it looks like I'll have to go to grad school before I can even get back in. I just hope the CST program is still going strong by then.

I'm honestly just looking to join either the Guard or Reserves and volunteer for a CST spot. I've been offered a job in the ER that I work at so I'm ok with doing that right out of school I just really really want a chance at deploying with the cultural support team. I have been physically training and am planning on learning Pashtu (as my ex husband who is a Ranger said this would be valuable). I missed out on deploying with my unit when I was a medic and I really want the opportunity to deploy and gain a valuable life experience working with Afghani women and children. Does anyone know how difficult it is to get into the Guard as a nurse now? Thanks!

Camp Bullis or Ft Sam are really not that bad in the summer. I went through combat medic training back in '06 during the summer and yeah, it was hot (no ac in our tents) it really wasn't that bad. Plus if it was anything like ATI for me- there will be plenty of opportunities for IV hydration. Good luck and congrats!!! I am a senior in a local BSB program and am hoping to start in the Army Reserves and go active when I have enough experience as a nurse. I wish they were a needy a they were in '06.

I'm sure it's not the same for everyone but in my situation, the ER offers new grads $19/ hr and then when you take into account student loan payments and health/ dental/ life insurance (not to mention BAH with a family and BAS and prior time in service) it definitely beats $19/ hr. I can understand the Army's fiscal reasoning for the 2 years of experience but it's unfortunate because I think I would learn so much more doing a residency at one of the larger Army hospitals. The good news is that the two years will give me time for national certification so I won't have to start out in MedSurg. Nothing against it, it's just not what I want to do in the long run.

I want to go back into the Army so bad. I'm just starting my second year of nursing school and was a medic in the Army a few years ago. I really miss it, the hospitals are generally awesome! I work as a tech in a local ER right now and when I was at BAMC in San Antonio (the Army hospital) it was so much more impressive. I like the hospital that I'm at but we are constantly running out of leads, our stretcher mattresses are torn and it's just not the same. I'm not saying that every military hospital or clinic is amazing but when comparing the two, I prefer the military hospitals. The pay is also better than a new grad in the civilian hospitals. Not to mention your insurance is covered, you have the opportunity for advancement sooner (may mean you have to move but whatever), and the military is a great community on it's own. For the Army though you cannot commission as a nurse until you have 2 years of experience (for the reserves it's only 6 months). I'm not really sure why this is but it stinks. lol I'll probably just stay at the ER here and get some good experience and then commission. Good luck everyone!!!

Hey, we also have a FB page too if you want to join the FB group and then also post on there about roommates. :) https://www.facebook.com/groups/166811626793053/

I was just going to suggest, you may be better off getting together with each other and renting a house or an apartment in Georgetown. The apartments out there are good, Georgetown Woods is affordable too, and close to campus (about 5 mins). I used to live in Georgetown and it was super easy to get to school and the area is a little better than what is right in Savannah. I am from Savannah so if you have any questions just let me know. I check FB more than this page so add me, Nora Brennan Berry. And I also lived on campus for a little while and it is more expensive than if you were to just rent an apartment with other nursing students. Good luck!! See yall soon. :)

Hey everyone, here is a link to the FB group that I set up for us. Anyone in the group can add more members too so if you know anyone that also got in, please feel free to add them. https://www.facebook.com/groups/166811626793053/

Yes I did! I created a FB group too.. I'm going to try and post a link on the last page of this feed so everyone can see it. :)

Hey, I created a FB page look up Armstrong Nursing Program Class of December 2014. I think that was what I named it. :) Or you can add me, Nora Brennan Berry and I'll send you the link to the group.

Hey! I got the FB group up and running. :) If you want to look for it, it is Armstrong Atlantic State University Nursing Class of December 2014. I made it a closed group but any of the members can add new members. Just wanted to let everyone know.

Hey everyone, are all of you on Facebook? I wanted to start an Armstrong Atlantic State University Nursing Class of December 2014 group page so that we could all stay connected and share any information over the next two years. Would anyone be interested in this? Just let me know and you can add me, Nora Brennan Berry, on FB and I will add everyone to the group. :)

I have a friend who just started sonography and she suggested as soon as the books come up to start reading them. I hope they come up soon, I'm not oppsed to start studying early! :)

Me too!!!!! Soooo excited for all of us!!!! My friend that had been calling got in too!!! Woowhooo!!!!

Oh wow. Another week. They probably get a million phone calls a day but I'd be willing to bet it's like that every time. I am also interested in Labor and Delivery but I think I really want to get into the Neonatal ICU. But yeah, being in clinicals and experiencing different specialties/ areas will be great! I really hope they let us know soon. I feel good about getting in but I don't want to set me self up for disappointment. Well, guess it's more days of waiting but at least we haven't gotten a denial letter.. that's something to be happy about.

I'm with you Tlizotte, my husband is in the Army and we have three girls (11, 8, 2) and I won't be working either. My husband is actually going to Dahlonega for a little while and I'll be staying here keeping our house and taking care of the kids on my own (full time job in itself). But I agree, it will be so tough that I would rather not work for at least the first semester or two. I do plan on working during my last semester as a PCT in the hospital. I have heard it is a great way to get a job. Either that or possibly do an externship in the area that I am most interested in. Do either of you know which area you want to go into after you become a nurse?

I am applying to Armstrong (in Savannah) and if I don't get in, which we should find out this week, will be applying to North Georgia due to a possible move to Dahlonega. I know at Armstrong, for the BSN program, they do have a point system: In Eng (1&2), Math/ Alg, Bio/ Chem (1&2), Stats, Dev Psych, Psych, A&P (1&2), and Micro they score you A= 1, B= .5 C= .25, then you add your overall GPA to that total, then add 1 point for having a Bachelors degree, and also add a point if you are an Armstrong student (the avg score for acceptance is a little higher for the Fall program I've heard). Armstrong is the only program, that I have found, that will tell you that your degree gives you a little bit of an advantage. I have a BHS degree and called NGCSU and was told that everyone is on a pretty level playing field. I have a 79.8, which is an advanced score, on my TEAS and the woman from NGCSU nursing department told me that I may want to retake my TEAS. I thought this was a little odd because I know plenty of people who have been accepted to other BSN programs who have proficient scores on their TEAS. I just was a little surprised by that. If you don't get into NGCSU, I would suggest taking your A&P2 and Micro, making A's, and possibly apply at Armstrong. They will add a point for your degree and they have two classes a year so you don't have to wait an entire year to apply for the program, like at NGCSU. Plus, you could earn your BSN. I had no idea that NGCSU was so competitive, especially with so many slots. Armstrong only has 80 slots per class. Good luck to all of you!!! :)