Can any Navy (or any branch) Nurses give insight into joining the Nurse Corps as an Officer?

2018-08-29T15:41:46-04:00

I'm an ER nurse with 2 years of experience and a BSN. I had a 3.4 GPA in nursing school, but with my previous degree it averages to a 3.2. I have recommendations from a former naval NP, a trauma surgeon, my supervisor, and two other NPs from the ER. I'm currently talking with a Navy HP recruiter who is also an officer. Anyone have any insight into life as a nurse? What things do I need to watch out for in regards to recruitment? What are the typical schedules like? I understand that I need to want to be a Navy officer first and foremost and that I will also have officer duties. How is bedside care? What are deployments like as a nurse? With experience, where are your typical first duty stations? Is it all life on a ship as a nurse or are you mainly on shore duty? Would you do it again if you could?

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 29 at 2018 4:55 PM

2018-08-29T16:55:13-04:00

Ask about tuition repayment program.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Aug 29 at 2018 5:34 PM

2018-08-29T17:34:44-04:00

Laura Danielle have you looked at any other branches or is there a particular desire to be a Naval Officer? The Army also has a robust healthcare professional recruiting program. Most Army Nurses work from a fixed treatment facility, then are deployed as needed through the PROFIS (Professional Filler System) to a unit you are usually habitually aligned to. Usually nurses are pipelined in such a way that you become charge nurses fairly quickly. You end up working on accreditation additional duties (for whatever replaced JACHO).

Deployments for Military Nurses these days are to fixed or semi fixed or expeditionary treatment facilities of one sort or another. They range from Level 1 (40 patient hold and surgical in a Medical Company in a Brigade Combat Team) to Level 3 Facilities (like Bagram or what used to be in Balad Iraq) or augmenting a theater asset like Landshtul in outside of Ramestein AB in Germany. Army nurses depending on specialty may also serve on Forward Surgical Teams. There are also aeromedical evacuation functions that typically have flight nurses, principally the domain of Air Force medical personnel.

The Navy has one hospital ship, USNS Comfort. It is manned according to mission from D.C. Area MTFs and puts to sea for specific missions. These are rare and by exception according to the former Commander of Military Sealift Command who was responsible for the ship and ship's company operations (not medical). Committing a Hospital Ship is almost a bigger commitment of national power than committing a carrier task group as there is only one ship.

LTC Paul Labrador I'm sure I have butchered this. care to fill in the blanks?

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Aug 29 at 2018 5:36 PM

2018-08-29T17:36:03-04:00

If you work ER or trauma, I suspect you will get deployed. The military tends to be younger, healthier patients except for our wounded. Our hospitals do have all the wards and specialities you would find in a big civilian medical center. You will get 4 weeks vacation starting year one.

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Aug 29 at 2018 5:36 PM

2018-08-29T17:36:30-04:00

Maj Michael Gravier 1SG Carl McAndrews want to weigh in?

Response by LTC David Brown made Aug 29 at 2018 6:17 PM

2018-08-29T18:17:10-04:00

It was over 30 years ago I signed on in the Army. You should qualify with no problem. They used to give you one of three assignments of choice. I chose Fort Carson. We worked rotating shifts when I did floor duty. There were a lot of people willing to mentor you. The biggest pain was managing a military career and maintaining a health care career. The combat arms etc had PT etc built into their schedule, for us it was on our own time. Getting training etc for awards like Expert Field Medical Badge was a problem. I could not get to teaching and review classes because of duties in the hospital. A recovery room nurse and I made after hour appointments etc. to get up to speed and did a lot of self study. This was years ago so I don’t know if it is relevant today.

Response by MAJ(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 29 at 2018 6:54 PM

2018-08-29T18:54:07-04:00

Laura, I cannot speak for the Navy, but having just left command in an Army AMEDD Recruiting Company I can tell you as you first come in, your work will be much like that of a traditional MED Surge Nurse in a civilian hospital...hours and shifts will vary based on location but probably (3-4) 12 hour shifts. as you grow in rank and depending on your path which can be much different in Army vs Navy, more admin functions will take place and perhaps a diminishing of clinical duties...again, varies on your own specific path. I have several nurse friends, one went to the Army Baylor MHA program and now does almost 99% admin but maintains her license as a BSN. I have another who got here certification and changed from 66H MED SURG to Labor and Delivery Nurse and strictly works there, with shift rotations like two months of days then nights etc....the one with MHA is strictly M-F 830-430. Still want the Navy? hahaha

Response by PO1 Roger Clites made Aug 29 at 2018 6:57 PM

2018-08-29T18:57:11-04:00

I was in the Navy as an enlisted aircraft mechanic on an Aircract Carrier and Amphibious Assault Ship and can tell you that the aircraft carrier has a fully staffed ships company hospital onboard. Doctors, nurses, corpsman, etc...to treat the ships 3,500 sailors in the ships crew. When an aircraft carrier deploys it grows to well over 5,000 crew with the airwing onboard which brings their own flight surgeons and corpsmen.

Amphibious assault ships carries Marines and the ships company medical is small doctors and corpsmen only, no nurses, because there is only about 1,200 sailors. When the large LHA's and LHD's have large onboard 400 bed hospitals to treat large Marine mass causulties from combat. When we deploy with Marines we also get a Fleet surgical unit from a Naval Hospital to fully man our ships medical while deployed to include a full complemwnt of doctors, nurses, and corpsmen. The marines have the Fleet Marine Force Corpsmen and attached.