Question about becoming an Army Public Health Nurse

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I see the Army is the only service besides the USPHSC with a public health nurse component. According to the Army medical website, you have to be nominated by the chief nurse to attend the public health nurse course after joining and doing a year in med-surg or another speciality. Is this the only way to become a public health nurse in the Army? If you join with an MPH or MSN in public health nursing (along with the BSN of course) can you automatically get the public health nurse designation upon joining or do you still have to go the previously stated other route instead? Any information on this would be helpful.

I have been an Army Public Health Nurse for a year now. I have a co-worker who worked as a Public Health Nurse in the civilian sector before becoming active duty. She had to work Med-Surg for a year and then she was able to go the course for the APHN identifier, but it is different for everyone I imagine.

As a APHN, we do a variety of things and each post may put more effort to one program than the other. Our job description includes programs such as Tobacco Cessation, TB suveillance and treatement, Health inspections of child/youth facilities on post, medical consultants for pregnant soldiers, Health Fairs, STD surveillance, and anything else that may be "prevention".

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I have been an Army Public Health Nurse for a year now. I have a co-worker who worked as a Public Health Nurse in the civilian sector before becoming active duty. She had to work Med-Surg for a year and then she was able to go the course for the APHN identifier, but it is different for everyone I imagine.

As a APHN, we do a variety of things and each post may put more effort to one program than the other. Our job description includes programs such as Tobacco Cessation, TB suveillance and treatement, Health inspections of child/youth facilities on post, medical consultants for pregnant soldiers, Health Fairs, STD surveillance, and anything else that may be "prevention".

I was wondering how competitive it is to get into the school? Or does it just depend on where you are stationed and if they have a need for a public health nurse? If you know of any tips that will help me get into this I would really appreciate it. Thanks

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Specializes in ER/Critical Care.

Per sl6ivy

"She had to work Med-Surg for a year and then she was able to go the course for the APHN identifier, but it is different for everyone I imagine. "

dumb question of the day: Med/surg in the Army or civ????? Also, if Army will any 66H MOS do?????

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going to school full time and working 64-hours/week with weekend call has been... It has been , with school, work, and having to arrange my schedule so that I am available for my four younger children (4 [soon to be 5], 6, 10, and 11).

GetnPHD - I have to ask - How?

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She did med/surg for a year in the army. If you join the military and make what you want to do known while joining..there shouldn't be a problem. To my knowledge it is not difficulty to track as a public health nurse or any other specialty, just a little paperwork.

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It looks like I've stumbled across the right thread for my questions about public health nursing in the military.

I have a BSN, 4+ years hospital experience in traumatic brain/spinal cord injury, as well as some critical care. Am currently working on my MPH and looking for a way to pay for it. I've always been interested in the military, and some years ago I looked at the Reserve/National Guard (enlisted) as a way to pay for my education, but was so disenchanted by the recruiters I met with and the MEPS experience, that I walked out before signing my final commitment paperwork at MEPS.

My prior loans are all paid off, but the current degree I'm working on (MPH) is very pricey, and I don't want to spend the next 20 years paying it off.

There's already been some good info in this thread, but I'm wondering if anyone else out there can shed some more light for me:

Previous posts seemed to provide mixed answers - will an MPH and prior experience (not in Public Health) qualify me to attend Public Health school as an Army RN?

How much does schooling and other experience count in terms of rank upon commission? It looks like the person with the PH doctorate will still start as an O-2? Don't MDs start as an O-3? Seems a little skewed.

How about other branches/specialities?

I know that the Navy and Air Force have Environmental Health Officers that are not part of the Nurse Corps, but are still part of the Medical fields within these branches, does the Army have something similar? From the job descriptions I have read about EHOs, their duties are very similar to a PH RN, and even include work with NBC, etc. (I am not tied to the idea of joining as a nurse, but more to joining in the PH field, I would love to work in Civil Affairs, or other arenas that allow me not only contact with military personnel, but with foreign nationals, whether in a peace-time humanitarian crisis (tsunami), or in a war-time situation as we are currently facing).

What are the differences in opportunities for Reserve vs Active Duty? It almost seems like Reserve is pretty much Active Duty these days, at least in terms of deployment schedules.

How about loan repayment? The information I have seen at the various official military websites seems to indicate that they will pay off various portions of loans for Nursing School, depending on the committment you make, but will these incentives apply to my loans for MPH school? My NURSING loans are already paid for.

Finally, are there any programs that will help me pay for school while I am attending? Some type of ROTC for advanced degree students?

I know this is a lot of questions, but I would love to hear from anyone with any info from any branch of the military or USPHS that pertains to these questions. Also, I'm not trying to hijack this thread, merely to piggyback on, as the thread I started has not recieved any replies.

Thanks

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Just to clarify there is nothing required for the Public Health Specialty in the Army. If you have experience thats great. The course is 3 months long and nurses, doctors, enviromental specialist all are in one class.

As long as you make clear what you want to do in the Army, there isn't a competition to get in the course. If you have a background in the field the sooner you can attend the course. It also depends on the needs of the army.

I'm not sure how rank is determind, a 1LT or CPT is what people with prior experience seems to get.

If you completed a MPH you are egible for CCNE certification. Once certified you will qualify for a bonus the army is offering 20,000 a year up to 4 years.

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