I'm currently a teacher, but I'm looking to become a nurse and I'm particularly interested in military nursing, all the more so if there's a way the military can fund my education.
Quick info:
I graduated in 2011 with a B.A. in English.
I did the Peace Corps for two years.
I've talked to an AMEDD recruiter, but he's new to the position and doesn't have all the info yet. He's going to an info session on Thursday and then he's going to get back to me.
Questions I have:
From what I understand, I could go into the army as an enlisted soldier (officer?) and then apply to the program for active military to go to nursing school, however, from what I've read I would need to be in the active military for 3 years before doing this. If I apply and get accepted through the military, then it's paid for by the military. No loans. No debt.
If I get my BSN on my own and then join the military, I need two years of nursing experience. And then I apply. And then there's a loan repayment program -- which doesn't seem entirely reliable to me.
I've only talked to an Army AMEDD recruiter so far, because it's difficult for me to call them during business hours. Does that sound about right for the Navy and Air Force too? Or are their programs a little different?
My ideal scenario is to commit X amount of years to the military as a nurse, then go straight into nursing school (which the military would pay for). That way I become a nurse right away and I could work as a nurse in the military, rather than becoming a military specialist and then applying to become a nurse and then becoming a military nurse. My concern with enlisting and then applying to the military program is that I wouldn't be accepted and then I've "wasted" three years. Does that make sense? Is that just a fantasy? Or is there a program/branch with something similar to that?
