Are there any army nurses out there who can give me advice?

maureen82 wrote:I just started a BSN program last year. I want to be a member of the army nurse corps in the reserves. I am thinking of enlisting now in the reserves as an army medic and using the GI bill to pay for school. My question is, once I graduate and pass my exams, how difficult is it to get promoted to officer and join the nurse corps? Should I wait until after I graduate? I need the money now, but don't want to be stuck in my medic mos three years from now when I graduate. I want to be able to advance.

LivingDeadNurse wrote:i have been out of the military for awhile now and if i remember there are programs where u can go to school and the military picks up the bill so long as you give them so many years after you graduate so that might be an option too. hope that helps.

LivingDeadNurse wrote:you don't have to thank me. i never served any war time. thank you..you guys did all the hard work

badphish wrote:I agree with Soldier Nurse. DONT START as a Medic. I was a Combat Medic for 20yrs. I had many soldiers serve under me that thought this was the correct way to go to get to RN. WRONG!!!!!!! Medics are almost always in short-supply, understrength MOS, Stop-loss etc. Once a medic, forever a medic. I saw a few (1) get the green to gold (enlisted - college , while on active duty- to officer) route. Most that came in as a medic planning on becoming a RN while in were gravely disappointed.

And being that we are in two wars right now, reservist medics are going to spend a lot of time deployed. get your BSN then talk to an Army Nurse Recruiter. RNs are in short supply in and out of the military, so there will be a position waiting for you once you finish. ROTC might be an option. Transitioning from an enlisted medic to an Officer RN is a hard thing to do.

Also being an Army Medic is more of playing mom, preacher, and counselor than anything else.

let me give you an idea of how hard it is to advance your medical career as a combat medic. I joined in 1982. around 84 i became interested in becoming a paramedic. in 2001 i was finally able to go to paramedic school, while on active duty my last full year in the army. this was only possible because my supervisor alowed me the time to do so.

now i'm working towards my RN while serving as a Paramedic in a busy 911 EMS service full time.

Don't become a medic unless that is what you want to do for a very long time. The army recruiters will tell you whatever you want to hear, to get you to sign up. "you'll be working in a hospital, if and when you deploy"
" you wont be on the front lines, you can pursue your RN degree while you are in the reserves/active, they'll tell you its EASY to change to officer corp, etc." just say no.

peace out,

be safe

brett

FLMomof5 wrote:I have a great option for you.....

Apply for an Army ROTC scholarship. The USArmy will pay for your tuition,books and fees and give you a monthly stipend....in exchange, you give the Army 4 yrs and you will be commissioned upon graduation.

Another option is to go Army National Guard. Join the "College First" program. They will pay for your schooling and you cannot be deployed for the first 2 yrs (long enough to get an RN through an ASN program).

The USArmy now commissions folks with only 60 credits. You have to have a Bachelors to get promoted to Captain and above. So you can get the commission from the ASN and then finish your BSN.

Their are so many options. Talk to a recruiter.

(BTW, I am an AF vet who used an AFROTC scholarship to get my first degree and my DD is currently in Iraq as a Combat Medic.)

FLMomof5 wrote:Welcome home! And thanks for your sevice as well.

We are a military family. Dad is retired LTC from USAF. My hubby is a Master Gunner. He was in the sand box in the early days.....that was scary! Had a nice case of PTSD when he got home(not that *he* would admit it!)....but doing well now. It took about a year before he was "Normal" again.

My son was a Blackhawk mechanic. Out before deploying - if you can imagine that. He is looking at going back in. Civilian life isn't what he thought it would be. For now, he is getting his A&P license through the local CC.

SoldierNurse wrote:I was instructing BLS [aka CPR] to Soldier Medic students [68W] last week. I asked if anyone had prior CPR experience. One spoke that they were already a civilian LPN. Next break we had I asked her if she wanted to be a M6 [68WM6], which is an LPN Soldier. She asked her Army recruiter about same but he told her not to worry about that she would get that MOS automatically eventually.

Well, next break I found an NCO [SFC]. He was one of the enlisted Cadre [I'm officer cadre] that was a 68WM6. He suggested that she go see her Retention NCO to change her contract to reflect her as a 68WM6 upon completion of our 68W program.

It is ashame what some of these recruiters get away with.

Gennaver wrote:Hello CPT!

How are you? Glad you are back. :)

Heya, I thought you were in Washington state prior to your deployment. I haven't been online in a while...just busy working.

I see that you are at AMEDD, right? I'm here too. Nice to read you.

Gennaver
at BAMC

SoldierNurse wrote:Got back last June from 15 month deployment in Iraq. Accepted PCS assignment to Dept Combat Medic Trng. Reported 1 OCT. Presently, working in Cadre Development (BLDG 1374, Office ph# 221-3518.) Call me.

CPT Cary James Barrett

Gennaver wrote:Hello CPT,

I look forward to wishing you Happy Holidays. :)

FWIW, the OBLC program when I went chose to drop the Army customs course and so on and well, its been a challenging year for my "non-Military-Bearing" self. Phew.

Gen/Jen
1LT, (I can hardly believe I'm up for CPT this year, it seems so soon already, hope I make it!)

Gennaver wrote:Hello CPT,

I look forward to wishing you Happy Holidays. :)

FWIW, the OBLC program when I went chose to drop the Army customs course and so on and well, its been a challenging year for my "non-Military-Bearing" self. Phew.

Gen/Jen
1LT, (I can hardly believe I'm up for CPT this year, it seems so soon already, hope I make it!)

SoldierNurse wrote:Glad you called!