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.

I was just reading through my old posts and wanted to thank you for encouraging me to really consider going through with ROTC and nursing when I originally posted this. I'm graduating and commissioning this May and I'll be an active duty nurse! Dreams do come true.

Didn't quote it, whoops

OK so it seems no one form your program has clearly laid out your options for you. I am VERY confused about why you would go to basic training over CIET considering CIET is half the time and way easier. If you are doing only ROTC, you should absolutely go to CIET and just knock it out in 5 weeks. If you want to be a nurse in the military and have a chance to be in Army ROTC, I would pursue it now rather than wait and take your chances with a direct commission (which could be extremely difficult or impossible to achieve depending on the climate when you graduate). With ROTC, if you are a contracted cadet and you have decent stats (grades, PT, etc), you will get active duty and you will be an Army Nurse. They will train you how to be an Officer and how to be a nurse. You will know for sure that you will be a nurse, and you will learn a ton of stuff about the Army in ROTC. There are a ton of other things I could tell you but I don't want to overwhelm you with information. I would check with your school to see if you can defer acceptance (most schools with understand if you tell them you are doing US military training) so you could just start when you get back from CIET). If not, you can always just extend your time in school by a semester. It's worth a few extra months in school to be doing exactly what you want and reaching your goals. Last note: these forums are mostly full of Air Force and some navy nurses, and very few Army. While there is definitely good advice here and everyone is trying to help, I've found that it's not often the best place to find info about Army nursing specifically. One good place I've found is the ROTC subreddit (search google or PM me if you want to check it out), where a lot of cadets go to help answer questions and share info about ROTC. I am also willing to help you out if you have more questions so feel free to PM me! Don't give up on ROTC simply because it's a pain to fit into your timeline. They will work with you if you truly want to be in ROTC. Good luck!

I decided not to pursue this, but I want to make sure people are getting correct information if they come along this post. For this ROTC scholarship, you apply for the scholarship FIRST. I know that is different than most programs but it's specifically for ROTC.

I am currently an ROTC nursing student about to graduate in May. I was recently told that I have the option to apply for the Health Profession Scholarship Program to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner. There hasn't a lot of information provided to me by the Army other than really basic descriptions of how the program works. Has anyone here done the program to become a PNP? How would it work with applying to grad schools as a new grad? They will pay for me to go to any school, but my understanding is that I have to get accepted to a school on my own accord, even as a new grad. Is this right? ANY and ALL information about HPSP would be appreciated.

I am participating in a summer internship at an Army hospital this July and I am required to bring shoes to wear with the scrubs that the hospital will provide. The packing list I have only says to bring "nursing shoes". It does not give any requirements about color, style, material, etc. I am wondering what Army nurses (or other branches!) wear with their scrubs so I can bring something appropriate! Do they need to be black? white? leather? etc. I don't want to stick out or show up unprepared. Thanks for all of your help!

As others have said, you need to look elsewhere right now. Army is not looking for new grads right now. Key phrase there is right now. This could and probably will change in the next couple years. If you are set on the Army, do your best to find a job and excel in it. After you get some experience (few years), check back with an AAMED recruiter and see if their needs have changed.

As others have said, it used to be automatic AD for all Army nursing cadets, much like the Air Force is right now. Unfortunately, the Army is currently overstocked on nurses and therefore AD is now competitive. I was told that last year, the cutoff was about a 3.1 cumulative. I have a 3.4 so I wouldve been okay that year. But, they are drawing down even more and offering less spots next year. I was just trying to figure out if anyone had heard the new GPA cutoff for this year (2015). I will graduate in May of 16 so it wont directly apply to me but it will at least give me an idea of where the numbers are. That being said, they have changed the OML configuration so GPA now accounts for only 25% of the total OML score, rather than 40-50%. Summer training is now Pass/Fail so it wont play as much into the OML as it used to, you just need to pass. There will also be standardized tests at camp, which will play into our OML score (5-6% each test). These are all things i've learned since I originally posted this and just wanted to put it out there in case someone is looking for the same info as me!

Thanks for all the responses. I think I see what you're saying about people skating by, I see that already in my ROTC battalion (cadets who get a scholarship then do the bare minimum to progress in the program). I find it interesting that not many people actually know what Army Reserve nurses do, yet so many people are on these boards everyday asking how they can sign up. I think most people assume they will just be working as a nurse but it seems to be a little more complex based on these responses. I hope I can get active duty but if I end up Reserves then I'll be okay with that, too. Hopefully I can find a unit where I can get more experience as a nurse.

So if I want more of the clinical experience in the reserves, would I be better off in a USAH then? I am not too familiar with the difference between the two yet!