Questions about military nursing and update

Published

Hello everyone. Thank you so much for your insights for previous advice from my first post in regards to military hiring new hires.

Update: I got my RN in 2/2018 and got hired and working by 3/2018. It was no cake walk and I must have applied to 200+ positions all over. Luckily, I found a place only 3 hours away from my original home, to work. So right now, Im working full time in a medsurg unit at a Level 1 trauma hospital. But I love my unit because I have the opportunity to get ER admins, tele pts, random and rare med/neuro/infectious disease/and pulmonary pts, as well as elective ortho surgery pts as well.

Its really well rounded and I love all the new experiences. Plus, its in a very adverse area of my state, let alone the city, so I see and deal with lots of adversity. Great learning experience each day.

Now my question: Im still set on serving in the military. Ive been talking to Army AMEDD, Air Force Reserves, and have an appointment with the Navy next week. All branches tell me that there is a 1 year experience time that they usually have for civilian nurses to get into the military.

So far, Im about 2.5 months in. Long ways to go. But Im still interested in seeing what each branch has to offer.

I also heard about Marine Corps nurses? Just from reading an article from usmilitary.com. And on it, they were talking about how Marine Nurses are pretty much Navy nurses with the Marines. So I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas or insights on what a nurse with the Marines entails and how it would be different from any other branches?

What was everyone's first experiences as a military nurse like? What drove you and what did you expect or not expect? Do you like it now? Or are you trying to get back to a civilian job post military?

Thank you for your patience with me on these questions, I really appreciate it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Moved to the Government/Military forum

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
I also heard about Marine Corps nurses? Just from reading an article from usmilitary.com. And on it, they were talking about how Marine Nurses are pretty much Navy nurses with the Marines. So I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas or insights on what a nurse with the Marines entails and how it would be different from any other branches?

There are no Marine Corps nurses, they are actually 100% Navy, not just "pretty much." I haven't ever met a nurse assigned to the Corps, only navy corpsmen assigned as medical (usually Fleet Marine Force types). Doesn't mean they don't exist, but I suspect Navy nurses don't get assigned to Marine field units like the corpsmen do.

I was Army, now back to civilian. I wrote a bunch of blogs here if you care to read them. :) https://allnurses.com/member-85677/blog.html

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The Marine Corps uses Navy medical support and there are billets available for Navy nurses with the Marines. I believe they would be considered operational billets and I think they are usually for ER/critical care/surgical type subspecialties. I am an ER nurse in the Navy. I'm not in an operational/Marine Corps billet but I am currently deployed IA with a Marine Corps unit in Afghanistan. I wear a Marine Corps uniform currently but it still says U.S. Navy. When stationed or deployed with the Marines you can earn the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) qualification and wear the FMF warfare device pin.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment