Roll Call for all Military and VA Nurses and those considering the Service

NavyCheerGirl · Feb 10, 2006

I hear anestesia has a lot of liability and not a good place to be. I thought of that place too but now I'm leaning towards triage or ER in the Navy, or even surgery. Good luck!

KristyEDrn · Feb 11, 2006

Thank you and good luck to you too! I LOVE civilian ER...it is a blast...can't imagine it in the service but I guess/hope/pray I will find out!

NavyCheerGirl · Feb 11, 2006

I know that anestestic nurses have a higher liability in the civilian world, but maybe it's different in the military. That's probably a good question to ask if you would like to go into military nursing as an anestetic nurse.

Corvette Guy · Feb 11, 2006

I know that anestestic nurses have a higher liability in the civilian world, but maybe it's different in the military. That's probably a good question to ask if you would like to go into military nursing as an anestetic nurse.

Be advised, Army Nurse Anesthetist are required to do more than civilian CRNAs, yet receive outstanding training to match such required high skill level.

KristyEDrn · Feb 11, 2006

Thanks Corvette Guy! I am looking towards AF right now and hope that it is the same.

REHRN · Feb 12, 2006

Hi All,

I was an Air Force wife for 22 years (my husband is now retired after 27 years). My aunt is a retired AF nurse (she was in Vietnam) and I have another aunt who served as an AF Nurse during Vietnam.

I am already an RN and seriously considering either the Air Force or the Army. Especially since I am only 41 and the age of acceptance has been upped to 47. If I don't go active duty, I would consider being a government civilian. But those are decisions that would require consensus from my family.

I loved the military lifestyle(most of the time) and feel that my life has been blessed in many ways because of being a military wife.

My Oldest son is now in college and headed towards a career in the Army. Needless to say it will be interesting when the Army and the AF play each other in football.

Corvette Guy · Feb 12, 2006

Hi All,
I was an Air Force wife for 22 years (my husband is now retired after 27 years). My aunt is a retired AF nurse (she was in Vietnam) and I have another aunt who served as an AF Nurse during Vietnam.
I am already an RN and seriously considering either the Air Force or the Army. Especially since I am only 41 and the age of acceptance has been upped to 47. If I don't go active duty, I would consider being a government civilian. But those are decisions that would require consensus from my family.
I loved the military lifestyle(most of the time) and feel that my life has been blessed in many ways because of being a military wife.
My Oldest son is now in college and headed towards a career in the Army. Needless to say it will be interesting when the Army and the AF play each other in football.

REHRN - Welcome! Looks like your son will be needing some Army support. Is he an Army ROTC Cadet? My youngest is an Army ROTC Cadet at the Univeristy of Houston. Anyway, see your local Army Health Care Recruiter, ASAP!

91CRN · Feb 16, 2006

Hello,

I have been an RN for about 18 years now. I was in the Army as a 9lC--Medic/Practical Nurse. I ETS'd in 1988. I spent most of my career in San Francisco. Letterman was a mecca of great people. It didn't even matter what rank you were. I worked in an SICU with primarily RNs. I LEARNED SO MUCH. No civillian job has EVER compared and I have been around! The only glimpse I ever got of the less competent side of military nurses/medics/drs was when I was stationed at Weisbaden Germany for a short time. That duty station was a huge reason I got out. What a disappointment. It seemed like no one there cared about their jobs or their pts. When I brought up my concerns about the situation I was teased; they started calling me "nursey". They knew I was intent on becoming an RN and keeping up with my critical care skills. I was stuck in a clinic. What a waste. I joined this website looking for personal stories about people in their quests to become CRNA's. Just looking for support, encouragement, information about programs etc. I currently work in an Emergency Department. I've gone on-call to finish my BSN. I hope to apply to programs this winter. Thanks for all your stories.

CoRpSmAn8404 · Feb 16, 2006

U.S. NAVY Corpsman 8404 Field Medical Technician; Background - MedSurg, Family Practice, Emergency Medicine and Field Medicine. I was stationed with 1st Marine Division. I am working on my LVN license at this time.

Corvette Guy · Feb 16, 2006

U.S. NAVY Corpsman 8404 Field Medical Technician; Background - MedSurg, Family Practice, Emergency Medicine and Field Medicine. I was stationed with 1st Marine Division. I am working on my LVN license at this time.

OORAH!

I hope your ultimate goal is BSN?

Corvette Guy · Feb 16, 2006

Hello,
I have been an RN for about 18 years now. I was in the Army as a 9lC--Medic/Practical Nurse. I ETS'd in 1988. I spent most of my career in San Francisco. Letterman was a mecca of great people. It didn't even matter what rank you were. I worked in an SICU with primarily RNs. I LEARNED SO MUCH. No civillian job has EVER compared and I have been around! The only glimpse I ever got of the less competent side of military nurses/medics/drs was when I was stationed at Weisbaden Germany for a short time. That duty station was a huge reason I got out. What a disappointment. It seemed like no one there cared about their jobs or their pts. When I brought up my concerns about the situation I was teased; they started calling me "nursey". They knew I was intent on becoming an RN and keeping up with my critical care skills. I was stuck in a clinic. What a waste. I joined this website looking for personal stories about people in their quests to become CRNA's. Just looking for support, encouragement, information about programs etc. I currently work in an Emergency Department. I've gone on-call to finish my BSN. I hope to apply to programs this winter. Thanks for all your stories.

Welcome to the military side of the msg brd, and thank you for your military service... HOOAH!

Good luck with your BSN quest ... wise move!

macanes, BSN, MSN, DNP, CRNA · Feb 20, 2006

As the moderator for this forum ... I am interested to know where everyone is from, their background, branch of service (or VA VISN) and what they like the best about Military or VA Nursing .... this forum generally has some really good traffic, and I would like to pull all of us together and get to know one another a little better.

Hi.

I'm John Zitzelberger, CRNA, MSN, BSN, BA, formerly captain, US Army Nurse Corps, commissioned Sept 6, 1996, resigned commission Mar 2005.

I like working in the military medical environment because I find that it is a more colleagial atmosphere than many of the civilian ORs in which I worked (moonlighting) while on active duty. I have not worked in a civilian hospital since leaving the Army in Jan 2004.

I enjoy the autonomy I have as, effectively still, a military CRNA. I do regional and OB anesthesia all the time and have never had a military anesthesiologist jump me with the "doctor's perogative" argument. I have had that happen in civilian places, where 'ologists acted like they were doing me a favor to do my own spinals (I watched many of them flail -- too little experience, I say, for some of them).

The pay is just fine, especially as a contractor. For the military folks, they have greatly upped the bonuses -- at higher ranks you'll be making as much as many civilians, at least those in the southeast where the cost of living greatly increases your spendable income power.

I have found, true, many arrogant surgeons in the Army, too. The difference here is I won't be fired if I (politely) tell some a&^%*&^$ to go #$%^ himself. That would not happen in the civilian sector. I ask for and am treated with respect, and respected as a professional provider.

I'm now an independent contractor CRNA. I've been working at the Ft. Benning, (Columbus) Georgia, and Ft. Stewart, (Hinesville) Georgia, Army MEDDACs (smaller hospitals) since I got out in Jan 2004.

My last duty station was Ft. Benning, from Dec 99 to Jan 2004.

I trained in the US Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing, class 02-97, graduated and passed boards in Dec 99. I did my phase I training at San Antonio, Ft. Sam Houston, the Army Medical Department Center & School (AMEDDC&S), like everyone else in the USAGPAN. I did my phase II training at William Beaumont Army Medical Center, Ft. Bliss, (El Paso) Texas.

I was a direct-commission (direct ascession) officer with a couple of years experience in CCU (a cardiac MICU) at St. Francis Hospital in Columbus, Georgia, from June 95 to Feb 97.

I was previously a newspaper reporter and photographer in Kingman, and Prescott, Arizona, before going to a BSN program at Columbus (GA) College -- now Columbus State University -- in 1992, graduated 1995.

I am an Army brat, alumnus of the University of Texas at El Paso, BA Journalism, class of 1990, alumnus of Moanalua High School, Honolulu, class of 82, and Ellison High School, Killeen, Texas, and a student of life and the world, which means I screwed around and had too much fun in high school and my first time through college.

I now work to live, not live to work. At least two or three times a year I take a scuba trip with a local club to someplace -- usually the Carribean -- warm and sandy. I still take photographs, but focus less on photojournalism and more on underwater photography.

I have been a Hash House Harrier, since 2000, which I will not explain -- look it up on the web. PM me for my hash name and info on the Columbus/Ft. Benning kennel.

I have learned that home is where you hang your hat (doesn't matter where you live), family is the only important thing (toys are fun, but blood is your only true support in this world), and when in doubt use hollow points (anything worth doing should be done right the first time).

Nice to meet y'all.