US citizen but foreign trained nurse - Navy Nurse Corps hopeful

Specialties Government

Published

Hi,

My situation is a little complicated and I will have a lot of hurdles to get through but am determined to try and join, just looking for some answers to help me along.

Basically (I'll try and cut this as short as I can) my father is retired Navy and at the time we were based in Scotland, dad continued to work for government on base until it closed down. By this time I had met my husband and now have family so I have lived in Scotland since. I graduated with a batchelor of nursing in 2006 and have worked as a registered nurse on an orthopaedic trauma (not elective) ward. Have always wanted to follow in my dads footsteps but convincing a stubborn scottish man to leave his roots has taken me 15 years!!!!! I have recently sent all my transcripts to CGFNS (including Florida BON) and am waiting for my report as to whether I'm eligible to sit the NCLEX but I know that I will not have enough paeds or obstetric hours, so am hunting down somewhere that I can make up these hours. I have been in touch with a recruiter who has been very helpful and just gave me the best news that because my University is listed on the NLNAC website as long as I can get my NCLEX and Florida licence then I'm good to go. I think I have been extremely lucky as my University is the only university to be listed on their website from the UK as well as being one of only 4 outside the US!!!!!! I am just wondering though what my chances would be as I have never worked in the US, would that go against me? Also if I should get commissioned how would it work for my family joining me as they are British Citizens, would the navy help me out with getting visas for them, would this have to be done before ODS or after. What is the timescale from being accepted to going to ODS and then on to active duty? Do families stay where they are and then move to your active duty station once you've completed ODS. I'm just trying to get as much information in advance so if this all goes ahead I'm in a better position to try and get this organised.

Thanks for your help. Jennifer.

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

I'm relatively new to the Air Force so I'm no expert to your situation but I hope I can answer a question or two. You didn't state it but I assume you are US citizen? You will need to be to become an officer. Once your nursing credentials are accepted I would think you would be eligible to commission. I doubt the Navy will help you with your family's immigration though. That is a separate issue that will be up to INS. I would be very careful here. If you join the Navy before you have your family sorted out, you might get separated from them. Depending on your station they would give you appropriate housing, but not green cards. (I'm not speaking from experience, just from what I've seen so far.) When I was in Officer training there were two officers with me who had both been separated from their families while they went through various schools (two years for each). And they both had small children. What about the British Navy? Good luck.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Pretty sure you have to have a degree from a school with CCNE accreditation.

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Can't do British Navy (don't want to either), I'm a US Citizen.

I have been told that the school has to either be NLNAC or CCNE accredited, mine is NLNAC.

It'll be a while before I'm ready to apply but just looking for some answers beforehand so I have an idea of how I'm gonna work this all out. Thanks.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but per the Navy website, the school must be CCNE-accredited. Here is the link:

Nurse : Health Care : Careers & Jobs : America's Navy: Navy.com

The Army and Air Force will accept schools that are NLNAC and/or CCNE, but the Navy is very specific -- CCNE is required.

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According to the info that I received from my Navy recruiter, it can be NLNAC or CCNE, so there may still be hope.

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Yep, that's what the health care recruiter I've been in touch with has said, despite what it says on the website. There's always hope!!

Just really needing info on timescales though for the whole process so I'm better prepared for working my family into all this.

Thanks for your help so far guys.

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Are you doing the Nurse Candidate Program?

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No, I'm not in the NCP. I've had my bachelors for 5 years.

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Well, it's still basically them same process...the only difference is I'm applying to go in AFTER school and you are applying to go in NOW...but the paperwork is pretty much the same. Here are some of the things you will probably be required to do:

Resume (which is going to be hard for you since you have no US work experience)

Physical exams

Character references (could be challenging since your references probably live in Scotland)

Security background check (will probably be more difficult for you since you lived outside of the US)

Interview with Navy Nurse Corps officers (recruiter will set this up for you)

Transcripts and all of your NCLEX info

Purpose statement (letter stating why you want to be a Nurse Corps officer [400 words or less])

So, having lived in Scotland will not make it impossible to join, but it will definitely make it more difficult. When are you trying to enter the military? I think all seats for 2012 are full. I just submitted my package to the selection board last month and out of 65 seats their are only 25 left for 2013. They are going pretty quickly.

As far as your family is concerned, I'm not 100% on how all of that works. I do know that they will not be able to stay with you at ODS....unless you put them up in a hotel out in town and pay for it out of your own pocket. You'll have to get with your recruiter about the visas and all that stuff.

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