2 yr RN w/ 4 yr B.S. looking @ joining the Army

Editorial Team / Moderator · Apr 18, 2011

I don't believe the ADN + BS in another discipline is a viable route for active duty nursing -- at least for the Army. Maybe for the reserves, but ADNs are being phased out of the reserves as well.

SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2011

If you are looking to join just to pay back loans, I highly discourage it. As you already seem to know, the Army is a lifestyle, not a job, and it is a huge commitment. If you enjoy peds, understand that you will not be working with lots of kids in the Army because the military in general doesn't really have a need for that specialty. I know a guy who was a peds nurse before who joined, but I don't know of a pediatric floor anywhere in the Army hospital system and there is no specialty course offered for pediatrics. Yes, being in the military is extremely hard on marriages, as many of my colleagues can attest. Also, all of the branches are overloaded on nurses right now, so the process to get in will be a difficult one, and considering that you don't have a specialty that is highly sought after such as ICU or ER, it may be more difficult for you to get in. The chances of you deploying are also pretty good if you do get in. I just saw the most recent Army numbers and were it not for the fact that I'm guaranteed undeployable for the first year because of my training program (I'm one of the lucky and increasingly rare new grads that got in), I would be wondering if I should even unpack my bags now that I'm at my first duty station.

If you feel you have a burning passion to join the military and that it's a calling, I'd say go for it, absolutely. But if it's just a means to an end, do yourself a favor and find another way to pay back your loans. Good luck!

just_cause, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2011

BSN is required to be a nurse active duty and as previous poster mentioned ability to join with ADN is getting more difficult (you can try) but you can also look at your local states army and air national guard to see what their recruitment requires (adv vs bsn) and if they have slots / nursing units near you - if you wanted to go part time.

I agree with other previous poster you don't want to join army if your focus is peds... also joining for the loan repayment usually results in a lot of frustration for you, your family, or the military as there are plenty of those that ares seeking to serve long term.

mhummel · Apr 18, 2011

Thanks for the quick replies,

For allarmy, how were you able to get in as a new graduate? I will have 6 months ICU experience in about a month so I'm hoping that will help me. Did you graduate with a BSN or ADN? I figured there wasn't much pediatrics in the military but since I'm working in a unit I figure that's good experience. We do a-line, CVP and ICP monitoring, alot of patients with shunts (internalized and externalized), I don't get to work much with cardiac which is pretty much all the adult world is about but we'll see. Thanks again for the help

SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2011

Hey, I got in under the direct commission program, which you are eligible for as a junior or senior nursing student (in a 4-year program). Your ICU, a-line, and CVP/IVP monitoring will definitely help--that is a plus! At least in the military, your lack of experience with cardiac won't hinder you too much. Yes, there is a lot of cardiac, specifically in the retiree division, but in the military, especially at the big medical centers, you'll see a lot of amputees, traumatic injury and of course, psych patients. Cardiac is a passing thought, especially for young folks who, other than the injuries sustained in theater, tend to be exceptionally healthy.