Posted on Jun 23, 2018
Is it possible to change my nursing specialty after my initial contract?
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I am thinking to join Navy reserves as a nurse. I would like to change nursing specialty later.
Is it possible to change specialty after a contract? I have Preop experience, but it is not long enough to be passed credential.
Is it possible to change specialty after a contract? I have Preop experience, but it is not long enough to be passed credential.
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 2
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My daughter is a Navy Reserve Nurse. We had a similar conversation yesterday at dinner. I asked her about potential promotion beyond O-4. She believed she had a good chance of making O-5 in a couple of years and finding a billet to drill in. I asked her about maybe working on a Navy or Joint staff job is she makes O-6. She said most of those billets are for either medical planners or general nurse personnel. Because she is a Nurse Practitioner, she has to drill in a position that requires a "provider." It doesn't look like she would be able to change to a planner billet to take a staff job. Moral of the story is to be careful about your specialty when you enter the Navy Reserve.
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SrA (Join to see)
Thank you Lt Col Coe
It denpends on openings and demands which Navy reserves need. I am going to finish FNP program next year. I did not know Navy reserves have NP position.
Thank you so much.
It denpends on openings and demands which Navy reserves need. I am going to finish FNP program next year. I did not know Navy reserves have NP position.
Thank you so much.
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Lt Col Jim Coe
SrA (Join to see) - I think all of the Services use nurse practitioners. LCDR Massey (daughter) shopped around for several months before taking the Navy Reserve slot. She talked with the Army, Air Force, and Navy medical recruiters and took the offer with the best deal in terms of accession date, credit for her enlisted service in the ANG, rank, and position. The Navy made the best offer. She entered the Navy Reserve in less than a year after application, went to a two-week officer training school for medical personnel, got full credit for her ANG years of enlisted service, and came aboard as an O-3 (LT). At the time of her commissioning, she held a BSN, MSN, Nurse First Assist, and Advanced Practice Nurse. In her civilian job, she's a Nurse Practitioner for the VA in the vascular surgery clinic. She loves her Veteran patients.
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I'm a touch confused which may be my age thing. Nurses are commissioned officers with nursing degrees. If you don't have that pedigree, it's not a nurse. The ENL rating is Hospital Corpsman. You can probably best crosswalk your stuff with a recruiter and see what hoops exist for that transition. Like most things about joining, transferring, etc., everyone should be asking back to you "What did the recruiter say?" Nobody passes GO or collects $200 without the recruiter. Good luck.
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SrA (Join to see)
My recruiter said that I can change after my contract is over. I just do not trust them 100%. They screwed me over once during my enlisted time. I am a nurse outside but enlisted in AFR.
Thank you for your response.
Thank you for your response.
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CAPT Kevin B.
Since you are a nurse, make sure you see a Reserve Accessions Officer that handles staff corps. I used to be a reviewing officer and would evaluate my staff corps candidates. The recruiter would get you in front of a couple of these to get their assessment of your likelihood of success. Might be some changes since my time. The recruiters are typically capped O-4s who agree to do their 20 in the recruiting business. Check out http://www.navy-la.com/nurses.html
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