nrryan

I applied and was accepted for the HPLRP this year. The repayment will cover prerequisite classes. As stated by others, they will withhold 25% for taxes. If you have any other questions, let me know and I do my best to answer them. It's a semi-difficult process but it was totally worth it in my opinion!

I am putting together my ASUs with the two medals/ribbons I have earned so far (National Defense Service and Army Service) and I want to make sure I am doing right. As of now, I have two individual medal "racks" or holders, 1 for each ribbon. When I attempt to put them directly next to each other on my ASUs, they don't look perfectly straight. Do I need to buy a 2 ribbon holder/rack? Or is there some trick to getting them straight using 2 separate holders? This link shows the 2 ribbon holder that I'm talking about: Amazon.com: Ribbon Bar Holder - 2 Ribbons: Military Apparel Accessories: Clothing Thanks for the help!

I've been to SAMMC/BAMC in San Antonio and loved it there. I put it #2 on my list and I recently got word that I will be stationed there. Madigan was my #1 and I was surprised (but not upset) that I didn't get it since I took the NCLEX so much earlier than cadets I know from other schools. All of these hospitals are big facilities where you will get good exposure so I would just base it on what part of the country you want to live in. I didn't rank Walter Reed very high, but I also wasn't too interested in DC while that might be important to you. If I can tell you anything, it's to not get your heart set on your #1 because you never know what the Army will decide to do with you. Also, we might be going to BOLC together if you get to take the NCLEX soon. Let me know if you end up with a July BOLC! Good luck!

I'm taking the exam for the first time on June 6th so I'm probably not exactly who you want to hear from at this point. I've been nervous about testing too but I felt much better after looking at the statistics for how many people pass and fail the NCLEX. Last year, first time test takers from BSN programs had a pass rate of 87.49%!!! That's extremely high! Yes, this test is super important and there will always be people who don't pass. But by telling us that you've studied using 2 different resources, I would guess that you are more prepared than most people who take the test. Many of my classmates are not planning on studying at all. Be confident in what you know and you will get through this. If you haven't looked at it yet, search for the 35 page study guide that gets passed around here. It has little tips that have helped me greatly in my studying. Keep answering practice questions and good luck!

That sounds like an incredible experience! So based on what you said, I'm gathering that my first duty station won't really determine whether I end up in an FST in the future. Rather, I should try to go to a specialty course for ER/ICU and go from there.

Thanks for your support! I would love to work in an FST eventually! I'm pretty much positive I want to go to Lewis at this point. If I do, will I have the chance to be a part of a FST at Lewis, or is that mainly just Bragg?

Thanks for the advice! Fort Carson was going to be my #1 choice but they recently removed it from the list of possible duty stations for new grad nurses. I have been thinking the past couple days and I'm really leaning towards Fort Lewis as #1 and Fort Sam as #2. Honestly I would be perfectly happen with either of those! EDIT: forgot to mention, Alaska isn't an option either! the other options available are Hood, Bliss, Bragg, Walter Reed, Belvoir, and Gordon.

It has come that time for me to submit my ranking for where I would like my first duty station to be. Obviously this is all subject to the needs of the Army, but historically nurses get 1 of their top 3 choices so I wanted to put some real thought into it. I have narrowed it down a bit from the possible 8 but still can't decide what to pick for #1. My options are: Landstuhl- I've never been outside the US and this would give me an opportunity to travel. The biggest worry I have is if my gf (soon to be fiance) comes with me, will she be able to find work? She is a social worker and I have no idea if she would be able to find something over there. Tripler- Seems like an awesome place (I mean, it's a vacation spot) but I've heard it gets old after awhile. Also, I wouldn't be able to attend a specialty course until I PCS'd (or so I am told). Lewis- Cool area of the country that I've never been to. I like the outdoors (hiking, camping, etc). It rains a lot, which could get old. Biggest concern with this one is what I've heard about Tacoma being a pretty dangerous area. Can't decide because I've heard nothing but good things from Soldiers who have been there. Sam Houston- Home of Army medicine and nursing. Been there before and loved it. Home of specialty courses I want to go to. Really nice hospital. San antonio is a fun city. This seems like my "safe" choice since it's closer to home than all of the others and not that different from my home state (Indiana, FWIW). If you've read this far, do you have any input or advice for me? Which duty station should I put as my #1? It would be super appreciated!! Thanks!

You're right, I should've mentioned that part. FWIW, almost everyone got active duty who wanted it this year. My brigade nurse counselor said they underestimated how many Cadets would willingly CHOOSE reserve/guard this year, so there ended up being more active duty spots than they first thought. Of course, all of this could change depending on what happens in the world, but from what my BNC said, the Army will need plenty of nurses for the next few years.

For #9, I would say that you are probably getting ahead of yourself. Yes, it is very good to have long term goals and all that. But your first step needs to be figuring out how your are going to get into the military to be a nurse. You talk about joining as a medic/corpsman. If you are doing a BSN program, do NOT enlist. The Army (and I'm guessing the other branches but the Army is what I'm familiar with) does not have enlisted BSN nurses. If you want to utilize your BSN in the military, you need to become an Officer. Now, there are a few different ways to go about that but it sounds like you are pursuing ROTC, which is a great idea (I'm biased but I'm an ROTC nursing Cadet so that's why). Yes, the military overall is drawing down. But ROTC (and Army in particular) are still taking in almost the same amount of nurses as they were 5 years ago. They plan for ebbs and flows and that is why they can still take in nurses even during a "drawdown". With all that being said, i think you should definitely go talk to that Army ROTC recruiter. If you have good grades and are in good shape and all that, you will most likely be offered a scholarship. If you decide to forego ROTC, the Army is currently NOT taking new grads for direct commissioning (if you don't know what that is, research it). So you would have to get your degree, get ~2 years experience, apply for direct commission, and be accepted. ROTC is really great for the reason that once you are contracted, you have then earned a commission and at that point you just do ROTC and your nursing program, and then you are an Officer when you graduate. I know I rambled a bit but I wanted to offer those pieces of advice. If you need more help or have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! Good luck

I will be ranking my choices for my first duty station soon and I am looking for some advice on which locations you all have enjoyed and why! The possible locations are the following: BAMC (TX) WRNMMC (MD) MAMC (WA) CRDAMC (TX) DDEAMC (GA) LRMC (Germany) TAMC (HI) WAMC (NC) WBAMC (TX) Any experience with these locations or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Ok that makes sense. Like I said, I have really enjoyed my time in ROTC and I think it has a lot to offer. If you want to be in the military and you have an option to do ROTC, I'd take it. Especially since the NCP route seems a lot less of a guarantee now. Well good luck, let me know if you have any other questions!

DO NOT DO THIS. I know everyone else has said the same thing but this recruiter is using deception to get you into something you don't want. If you want to be a nurse, talk to a healthcare recruiter. Throw away this recruiter's number, don't talk to them again.

No problem. I understand your reasons to want to go, many people like the challenge of basic and our very proud of having completed it. If you could do NCP, I would definitely look into that. Your life will be SOOO much easier throughout school when compared to doing ROTC with nursing school. While I have learned a lot from ROTC, I probably spend as much or more time on ROTC stuff than I do nursing. If I had the chance to do NCP when I started vs. ROTC, I would've done NCP. They give you money then leave you alone until you graduate. (Some people will say this isn't good because you will be joining the military with 0 military experience, but honestly i think it's highly overrated. You will not be out there shooting people or anything, you will be a nurse). You won't get that ROTC/basic experience, but it would be a pretty awesome route. What are your chances of getting NCP?

I'm a guy but I love my nikes. If you are Army, make sure to get the new version that are made of leather and not synthetic stuff, the older ones are no longer authorized for wear. They are super comfortable. Not the best for the field due to lack of support but they are great for just walking and the clinical environment.