Which branch is best for me to join for nursing?

[Cjmullane]

I know for sure I want to be a nurse in the military, I'm just stuck between branches. I graduate high school after this year and am going to join ROTC and hopefully apply for a type of Nursing-scholarship. I want to get my BSN and become a Med/Surg Nurse and then eventually go back to get my Master's and be certified as a Family Nurse Practictioner. I just need a bit of help distinguishing branches. (P.s, I'd like to make a career out of the military and stay in as long as possible until retirements)

With the Army: They have great scholarships for college and I like the idea of being on land, but being the biggest branch I wouldn't have nearly as much pride as if I ever in another branch. (Army brat of an O-5). Although I do like the military-lifestyle and the abilities to travel, but all branches have opportunities to travel. Growing up around it though made me 50/50. I don't want to join a branch I wouldn't like as much, at the same time I don't want to miss out on a better opportunity. The fast promotions do appeal to me though.

With the Air Force: Always appealed the most to be. It doesn't have the most military-lifestyle which I prefer, but they have great facilities to work in. Also, they don't deploy as much. I'd like to deploy I feel it'd be a great experience but not ALL the time. Especially one day when I have a family I won't want to be gone every other month. I also took JROTC though out High School, so I'm not sure if that had an impact on it naturally having a nice impact. With the smaller size I'd also have a better sense of pride. With the Army its the first branch any ordinary person thinks of when they hear "Military". The one thing stopping me from the Air Force is the promotions. I don't want to be stuck at one rank for too long then forced to leave the Air Force. I want to make a career of the military so if I was removed early I'd be forced to work in the civilian sector. Most of the high officers and flag generals are pilots, so I'm not sure if I would make it above Major. I'm not positive though. ALSO I'm not sure if this is true, but I read the Air Force chooses your specialty for you. I don't want to look forward to Med/Surg but end up in pediatrics. How does the selection for Air Force work?

With the Navy: Never really thought of it. They have a good medical corps but being on a ship with small areas nonstop for 6 months wouldn't really appeal to me. Plus I read they are gone on ships a lot, which as I said earlier being gone all the time doesn't exactly appeal to me. But I also read Navy Nurses choose to be on ships or not, if this is true that wouldn't be a bad option for me.

Based on the above, what would you recommend? If I am wrong on any parts please correct me, and if you have any information on insight it'd be greatly appreciated.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Not sure where you're getting your information, but some of the Air Force folks I know are deployed far more often than Army. By the time you'll have graduated college, there might not be any deployments at all. One can hope, anyway. :)

Honestly, I'd go with the branch that will be taking new nurses when you graduate. Right now the Army wants nurses with two years of experience. Even ROTC is no guarantee -- many ROTC grads are not getting AD commissions.

[DSchulte99]

Navy nurses fight to be on ships. If you don't want to be on a ship never apply and you will be fine.

[inspiredbynavy]

I think this is true for every branch, but you would put down where you initially want to begin working and in what unit as like a "wish list" type of deal. Don't quote me on this since I'm not even a nurse yet, but this is just from my research and what I've heard/read. So, you aren't guaranteed as to where you will be working. They put you wherever they need you first/most. You'll hear that phrase a lot by the way.

Navy Nurses apply to work on ships just as if they were applying for any other job. From what I've heard it's really competitive to even get a spot on a ship. So, you really don't have to worry about that if you were joining the Navy. However, you do have to know how to swim.

[midinphx, BSN]

I'm AF. I've been in for 3 years and I just got hit with my 3rd deployment tasking (after being home from deployment for only 6 weeks). I was enlisted army for 3 years prior - paid for my nursing school. I'm very proud of having served in the army. I'm also proud to be in the AF. No matter who you serve, you will be so proud that they allow you to serve.

Facilities- I thought AF would have better facilities too. but when you don't live on base, it really doesn't matter in my daily life. All services are finding ourselves combining more and more. I work in a joint facility along with army nurses and civilians. Our daily jobs are the same. The difference for me comes in deployment facilities - AF have good living conditions, for what it could be. We generally have real buildings to sleep in rather than tents. We do get joint taskings and go with the army sometimes - I have not had that pleasure yet.

Don't worry about not making rank and then being asked to leave so much. I'm aware that the reduction in forces will have some leaving. It seems that the ones who are asked to leave are the ones who have just not been motivated to go that extra mile and work hard.

Choices - in any branch you really don't have final say in your job. I'm an ICU nurse - I have just been moved to the pediatric ICU. I didn't get a say so, but I don't mind since it isn't forever anyway. I'm enjoying the change. In AF the new grad nurses get routed either through med/surg or OB. med/surg opens the whole world to you. Nothing is ever set in stone and once you do what they ask, often the next round, they consider your wish list. med/surg nurses serve in telemetry,peds, ER, clinics, and basically any place they need a nurse. There are fellowships that help you grow into other areas such as ICU. and there are AFIT spots that pay for advanced schooling for NP or CRNA even. The opportunities are wide. You just have to be willing to be flexible.

For such a young person, you've done some good research! Keep asking questions.

[Cjmullane]

I'm gonna continue looking into it but you eased it for me. I think I'll probably go AF, Thanks so much for the information it really calmed my nerves on the things that were bothering me that I didn't know about. Again, thank you very much!