What to expect

[greyL]

It's always been kind of a dream of mine to join the military as a nurse. If I were single, I would just join, but I'm in a relationship and will be getting married soon, so I hesitate.

If I were to join, would I be spending great lengths of time away from my husband? How do nurses with families manage?

[jeckrn, BSN, RN]

You will spend time away from your family but how much is hard to say. It will depend on the service you join, the unit you are in and the deployment pace. I have been assigned to a hospital were I was gone almost half my time there. Now I am in a field unit and have not been away from home that much so you just never know. Deployment pace can change at anytime depending on what happens in the world, before 9/11 very few units deployed then it changed to every other year and now it's slowing down again.

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

They're going to force you to submit a family plan that details where your kids go (if you have any) when you're deployed. I think a lot of people network with other deployed spouses/families. I would pretend that you'll deploy the max amount of time when making the decision, which for a nurse can be nearly half the time. It really depends on your specialty (OR, ER, and ICU deploy far more than anyone else) and your unit (major commands with huge combat responsibilities deploy more).

Especially right now, deploying isn't the major strain on you family. There are mandatory TDYs (generally a few weeks a piece for training) that you'll have to do throughout your career. There is mandatory local training, meetings, and additional duties that often are in addition to your required ~40-48hrs of patient care per week.

The career opportunities, pay (in the higher ranks especially), and travel are second to none. You definitely work for what you get, though.

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

Just to give you some idea of how things can go, I am a married Soldier living away from my husband. I will be separating active duty very soon, in part due to the fact that the Army isn't the career path I want for myself, but also largely due to the fact that in my marriage, the Army comes before my husband. My oath to the service supersedes the vows I took with my husband, and neither of us like that.

I really enjoyed my time in the Army when I was single. I had some incredible experiences, got to travel, and made some lifelong friends. I had no ties to keep me in a certain place, and my only concern had I been chosen for TDY or deployment was for my furry companion and sole roommate--my cat! However, that time in my life is over, the military itself and the associated demands are changing, and it's time for me to move on from the Army and be with my husband.

PM me if you have specific questions, but please continue to question whether or not you're willing to give up your time with your husband, especially as a newlywed! My husband and I are spending our first year and change of marriage apart. It has been no picnic.

[Salter444]

Many variables decide how much time you spend apart from your family. Some deploy every cycle and some avoid deployment all together. Plus, you work more hours than civilian. You have additional duties and are on-call 24/7. Military service has its pros and cons like any job, however this one you do not just walk away from if it becomes too taxing.