Is it possible to change my nursing specialty after my initial contract?

SrA Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 23 Jun 2018 11:07:31 -0400

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.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Jun 23 at 2018 4:08 PM

CAPT Kevin B. — Sat, 23 Jun 2018 16:08:53 -0400

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.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Jun 23 at 2018 4:28 PM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Sat, 23 Jun 2018 16:28:41 -0400

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.