The Army way

Good Morning,

This can be easy or complex. Nows military is different. The biggest questions & the controversy for military nurses is; ARE YOU A NURSE OR ARE YOU A SOLDIER?

For a nurse who has been a civilian nurse (10+) before joining the military, her/his answer would be a NURSE. For the enlisted who went to school & later became a nurse & an officer, she/he would tell you a SOLDIER. This sometime causes division within units. For the new student, the military can mold you how they want.

Another underlying factor is, "Are you a person with leadership skills already or did you join the military to obtain leadership skills". Do you feel good about yourself or do you need to be in the military to feel good about yourself? Where is your confidence level? Todays military can be very scary. True leadership skills is someone who is willing to serve as well as be serve. Are you able to listen to your soldiers' opinion @ times or do you think you know everything already? There's intelligent enlisted men/women that don't get the respect or the honor they deserve.

Today military, with this war going on has it's challenges. The training is excellence in the right LEADER's authority. But in the wrong leader's authority, look at the news. These young men / women across sea being 'ORDER' to do things & then when expose, where are the Leader who gave the 'ORDER'.

Ok to try & answer your question, military nurses who has over 3 years experience in the military, already have leadership skills & probably better than any manager or director in any medical facility. Depending on where they've been station, they may need to learn few procedural skills (They can get that in a day). However, military nurses that have been practicing in the civilian world are pushed into leadership roles, AND WE DO WELL.

In closing, I pray that God keeps his angels over all my fellow Nursing Officer & CASH unit in Iraq & Bagdad, expecially Charmaine & Sanders, bring them home safe & whole, especially there minds.

Good Luck M2quez