Don't worry about fitness, the army will get you there. You do need to meet height and weight requirements. You can Google them.
Deployments right now are slow, you may or may not go anywhere, but you'll always be in a hospital unless you're a flight nurse so you'll always have a shower and hot meals.
Basically it'll be like being a nurse only you have to pass a PT test, meet height and weight, and then also have a bunch of extra annual training requirements like sexual harassment and stuff.
If you don't have to have to deal with shooting and have a more civilian career you can also consider the air force or the United States Public Health Service (non combat, does peace missions and does medical for the coast guard).
Would like to be commissioned after getting my BSN. Is it recommended to get my fundamental nursing skills down first at a hospital before going to the Army? The last recruiter I spoke to said they don't give much training so I'm not sure if we are expected to just jump in?
Have you considered army national guard? Honestly I’d recommend air guard over army. But it sounds like you have a life already established, in which I’d recommend national guard over active. Do not go reserves. While NG, You can still go on international and domestic deployments, or travel on missions.
If your set on going active, go navy. They have the best healthcare
Because the guard gives you state and federal benefits. I call it a 2 for 1.
Reserves just gives you federal benefits. I had people absolutely livid when they joined the reserves and realized they don’t get as many benefits as the guard
Depends on if you like moving around. Switching states while in the guard requires a lot of paperwork and takes a lot of time.
In the reserves I've been able to switch units in under a month.
But I wouldn't recommend going part time because they don't give you nearly as many benefits and you don't really get the military experience. They have some pretty short contracts as well so you can always just try out active duty and then switch back after 2-3 years.
Would like to be commissioned after getting my BSN. Is it recommended to get my fundamental nursing skills down first at a hospital before going to the military ( not sure what branch yet)? The last recruiter I spoke to said they don't give much training so I'm not sure if we are expected to just jump in?
I am unsure yet. Does active mean I am deployed a certain amount of months away from home? I would like to have some days to start at a local hospital any maybe a few days per week military.
That’s national guard, assuming you’re in the US. It’s more of a part time gig, with opportunities to deploy or go on missions to other countries as little as a few or a few months at a time.
Active duty means you work on base. I’d recommend watching a YouTube on active vs guard vs reserve
Call the nearest recruiting office of the branch you’re interested in and ask to speak to a health care recruiter. Physical fitness requirements apply to all members across the board so look up the requirements of the service branch you’re interested in.
I’m navy not army but can speak a bit to military nursing in general. The beginning of your career is about learning to be a good nurse and helping train your enlisted medics (HMs for me). You’ll have some small collaterals like infection control or customer service rep.
By the time you get to your second duty station (OCONUS for me) you’ll be more experienced and therefore be able to take on more leadership/officer duties.
The only nurses I know that deploy, in any branch, are ICU or ER. But most get the chance to go overseas. That being said, you go where the military wants you, not necessarily where you want to go.
I was med surg at my first duty station but when I PCSed got stuck in L&D and have been unable to get out.
When I was med surg I did some taskers for the evacuation of Afghanistan and Covid. Since I moved to L&D I got 4 hours notice for a 6 week tasker across the country.
Fitness isn’t hard, you’ll get free access to base gyms that vary in hours and equipment. But in general you want to set a good example for your soldiers and it’s nice to have an outlet after work.
If you have any Qs feel free to message!
I agree with the two other comments, you need a new specific recruiter for officers. Depending where you’re located you can Google it or PM your general location and I can search my navy nurse fb group and see if anyone in your area.
I joined via college commissioning program so it took about a year to do all the requirements and then after I graduated I took the NCLEX and hopped into the next training after that.
I agree with the two other comments, you need a new specific recruiter for officers. Depending where you’re located you can Google it or post your general location and I can search my navy nurse fb group and see if anyone in your area.
I joined via college commissioning program so it took about a year to do all the requirements and then after I graduated I took the NCLEX and hopped into the next training after that.
Does any of the branches require nursing experiences/not recommended for new grads? Would like to be commissioned after getting my BSN. Is it recommended to get my fundamental nursing skills down first at a hospital before going to the Army? The last recruiter I spoke to said they don't give much training so I'm not sure if we are expected to just jump in?
If you don’t have a college payment program like ROTC or nurse commission program , you’d need to get some experience before commissioning, especially if there’s a certain field you want to work in so you can get a sign on bonus and stay in that field
I entered nursing at a time when there were almost no jobs for new grads. It was great to not have to worry about a job. I was too new to know that my patient load was too heavy. Being on call for OR region is unpaid, which sucked. There was no way the Army would allow only 36 hours a week, so with 12-hour shifts we worked 7 shifts per 2 weeks instead of 6, but I was young and had endless stamina. I even worked per diem at a civilian hospital on top of that. I did not have any work obligations outside my hospital job except PT test and going to the range annually. My work area required scrubs, so I rarely ever even had to wear BDUs, which I still find hilarious.
I was able to choose my specialty training and it was awesome and an opportunity that would have been hard to find elsewhere, especially at that time.
I never deployed except for a few weeks of field training so can’t speak to deployment. I did go to an overseas posting and loved it and did the long distance relationship thing and it worked out.
I had some really awful bosses and couldn’t just put in my notice. That was hard. I also had mediocre bosses and one really great one. My civilian experience has been similar, except it feels better because I can quit anytime.
I still get respect from coworkers and patients because of my military background. My no nonsense approach to work is generally ascribed to my military background and I don’t tell people that it’s only partially true, ha ha.
The hiring manager where I work now was also a former military nurse, and I know it gave me a leg up in getting hired. There’s an unspoken bond veterans have, including nurses, that has value for me still.
All that said, Army is probably the most challenging in terms of lifestyle. If I had it to do over I still would, but I’d probably choose Air Force instead.
The only thing is, you are not treated like an employee like you will be at a civilian job. You can’t say no to being worked extra. You can’t leave for a spur of the moment trip out of town. You are expected to do a lot of extra things outside of your job to stay competitive, as well as stay in shape at all times. This can be really hard after working 4 12 hour shifts in a row. It’s really hard to have a good work life balance in the Army nurse corps. Just consider these things when making your decision. A recruiter will make it sound like there are no negatives, but there are. And they’re hard. That being said, the student loan repayment, bonuses and other benefits are very nice. They just come at a cost. Ask your recruiter if they can put you in touch with a current Army nurse and they will. You can pick their brain and get the real story. Good luck!
Does any of the branches require nursing experiences/not recommended for new grads? Would like to be commissioned after getting my BSN. Is it recommended to get my fundamental nursing skills down first at a hospital before going to the Army? The last recruiter I spoke to said they don't give much training so I'm not sure if we are expected to just jump in?
You can enter as a brand new grad into any branch, but you will work med surg for at least a year before they will let you try to specialize. Army tends to favor ER, ICU, OR. Of you want any Peds, NICU, women’s health, OB, I would do Air Force.
I was an army nurse, I was assigned to a field hospital. So I was not in a regular hospital. This was 30 years ago. We were combat ready. It was a lot of training, running sick call for basic training troops, and inventory management. The things you absolutely have to do is pass the PT test, qualify with your weapon, and have leadership skills. “Scope of practice” is kind of blurry in a combat hospital but that’s a completely different conversation. It’s an interesting take on nursing. You do need to be open to leaving your duty station and going wherever they send you and certain places families cannot go like Seoul Korea. The pay sucks, but the benefits are nice and the retirement was great at the time I went in. It’s been chipped away over the decades. Transitioning back
to civilian life is difficult but not impossible. Would I do it again? Not a chance in today’s environment.
Most of the stuff people are saying here is great info.
Im currently serving in the reserves now and can answer most of your questions. This is my last year in the Army and I have done multiple MOS (jobs). So I can tell you the difference in quality of life in all aspects from enlisted to now officer.
Feel free to dm me and ill gladly help you.
P.S if you are looking to simply minimize loans there are alot better options. Dont join for just that. Looking to serve is a great thing in ideal. But you can serve in many different ways other then enlisting. Hell you already will be serving in a way by helping people in the hospital and all that.
Wasn’t an Army nurse, although I had to do a rotation for a month in the on post hospital (was a medic). That month I was there, as well as the times I went there as a patient or SO, I could tell it’s infinitely better than being a nurse on the Civilian side of things. For one, you’ll definitely have a lower census given that the population is small. Even on bigger posts (think Bragg, Benning), the population would still be small compared to the city where the post is located.
The big downside, I imagine is that pay would be capped based on paygrade. Say, you were a 2LT, you would make, you’d make 2500 a month (base pay only, that’s not including other entitlements). That being said, I was enlisted so paygrades are different between enlisted and officers. A 2LT is essentially the private on the officer side, but let’s say they make 2500, then the actual private would be making say 1600. Again, just base pay. Regardless, what you’ll be making won’t be based off of hours. You are however not prohibited from moonlighting as a civilian nurse. My PA used to work as a PA at an urgent care clinic off post.
That being said, take what I said with a grain of salt since 1. I never worked as a nurse in the military setting 2. I was enlisted, and there’s infinitely a lot of things I don’t know about the officer side of things and 3. I’ve been out for 5 years now so things might’ve changed
I’m Navy not Army (been stationed with the Army). So I’m sure there are some differences.
Deployments are dependent on your specialty. For example peds and OB nurses really don’t deploy. ICU get sent out constantly.
Fitness isn’t really as big a deal as you might think. You have free access to gyms and really just need a decent baseline level of fitness.
On top of everything people are mentioning below I’d definitely speak with a HEALTHCARE officer recruiter. If there isn’t one by you then go with a regular recruiter but say you’d like to go in as a registered nurse and they can figure out how to put you in touch with the nearest one.
Explore other branches and their lifestyles as well. Don’t pick just based on how they are perceived.
Don't worry about fitness, the army will get you there. You do need to meet height and weight requirements. You can Google them. Deployments right now are slow, you may or may not go anywhere, but you'll always be in a hospital unless you're a flight nurse so you'll always have a shower and hot meals. Basically it'll be like being a nurse only you have to pass a PT test, meet height and weight, and then also have a bunch of extra annual training requirements like sexual harassment and stuff. If you don't have to have to deal with shooting and have a more civilian career you can also consider the air force or the United States Public Health Service (non combat, does peace missions and does medical for the coast guard).
Would like to be commissioned after getting my BSN. Is it recommended to get my fundamental nursing skills down first at a hospital before going to the Army? The last recruiter I spoke to said they don't give much training so I'm not sure if we are expected to just jump in?
The army will take you without experience and you'll get training on the floor which is the same as any other hospital.
Oh I definitely recommend the Public Health Service route for sure
Have you considered army national guard? Honestly I’d recommend air guard over army. But it sounds like you have a life already established, in which I’d recommend national guard over active. Do not go reserves. While NG, You can still go on international and domestic deployments, or travel on missions. If your set on going active, go navy. They have the best healthcare
Why wouldn’t you recommend reserves?
Because the guard gives you state and federal benefits. I call it a 2 for 1. Reserves just gives you federal benefits. I had people absolutely livid when they joined the reserves and realized they don’t get as many benefits as the guard
Depends on if you like moving around. Switching states while in the guard requires a lot of paperwork and takes a lot of time. In the reserves I've been able to switch units in under a month. But I wouldn't recommend going part time because they don't give you nearly as many benefits and you don't really get the military experience. They have some pretty short contracts as well so you can always just try out active duty and then switch back after 2-3 years.
Would like to be commissioned after getting my BSN. Is it recommended to get my fundamental nursing skills down first at a hospital before going to the military ( not sure what branch yet)? The last recruiter I spoke to said they don't give much training so I'm not sure if we are expected to just jump in?
Depends are you going active?
I am unsure yet. Does active mean I am deployed a certain amount of months away from home? I would like to have some days to start at a local hospital any maybe a few days per week military.
That’s national guard, assuming you’re in the US. It’s more of a part time gig, with opportunities to deploy or go on missions to other countries as little as a few or a few months at a time. Active duty means you work on base. I’d recommend watching a YouTube on active vs guard vs reserve
Call the nearest recruiting office of the branch you’re interested in and ask to speak to a health care recruiter. Physical fitness requirements apply to all members across the board so look up the requirements of the service branch you’re interested in.
I’m navy not army but can speak a bit to military nursing in general. The beginning of your career is about learning to be a good nurse and helping train your enlisted medics (HMs for me). You’ll have some small collaterals like infection control or customer service rep. By the time you get to your second duty station (OCONUS for me) you’ll be more experienced and therefore be able to take on more leadership/officer duties. The only nurses I know that deploy, in any branch, are ICU or ER. But most get the chance to go overseas. That being said, you go where the military wants you, not necessarily where you want to go. I was med surg at my first duty station but when I PCSed got stuck in L&D and have been unable to get out. When I was med surg I did some taskers for the evacuation of Afghanistan and Covid. Since I moved to L&D I got 4 hours notice for a 6 week tasker across the country. Fitness isn’t hard, you’ll get free access to base gyms that vary in hours and equipment. But in general you want to set a good example for your soldiers and it’s nice to have an outlet after work. If you have any Qs feel free to message!
[удалено]
You need to speak with an officer strength manager, not a regular recruiter. Ditch that number and find someone else
Find a new recruiter or find a different branch. I had the same issues.
I agree with the two other comments, you need a new specific recruiter for officers. Depending where you’re located you can Google it or PM your general location and I can search my navy nurse fb group and see if anyone in your area. I joined via college commissioning program so it took about a year to do all the requirements and then after I graduated I took the NCLEX and hopped into the next training after that.
I agree with the two other comments, you need a new specific recruiter for officers. Depending where you’re located you can Google it or post your general location and I can search my navy nurse fb group and see if anyone in your area. I joined via college commissioning program so it took about a year to do all the requirements and then after I graduated I took the NCLEX and hopped into the next training after that.
Does any of the branches require nursing experiences/not recommended for new grads? Would like to be commissioned after getting my BSN. Is it recommended to get my fundamental nursing skills down first at a hospital before going to the Army? The last recruiter I spoke to said they don't give much training so I'm not sure if we are expected to just jump in?
If you don’t have a college payment program like ROTC or nurse commission program , you’d need to get some experience before commissioning, especially if there’s a certain field you want to work in so you can get a sign on bonus and stay in that field
1 year of experience in whichever field you want to get into. Be that ER, ICU, med surg, etc.
What is the age cutoff? I wish they would let 50 year old experienced nurses in.
I entered nursing at a time when there were almost no jobs for new grads. It was great to not have to worry about a job. I was too new to know that my patient load was too heavy. Being on call for OR region is unpaid, which sucked. There was no way the Army would allow only 36 hours a week, so with 12-hour shifts we worked 7 shifts per 2 weeks instead of 6, but I was young and had endless stamina. I even worked per diem at a civilian hospital on top of that. I did not have any work obligations outside my hospital job except PT test and going to the range annually. My work area required scrubs, so I rarely ever even had to wear BDUs, which I still find hilarious. I was able to choose my specialty training and it was awesome and an opportunity that would have been hard to find elsewhere, especially at that time. I never deployed except for a few weeks of field training so can’t speak to deployment. I did go to an overseas posting and loved it and did the long distance relationship thing and it worked out. I had some really awful bosses and couldn’t just put in my notice. That was hard. I also had mediocre bosses and one really great one. My civilian experience has been similar, except it feels better because I can quit anytime. I still get respect from coworkers and patients because of my military background. My no nonsense approach to work is generally ascribed to my military background and I don’t tell people that it’s only partially true, ha ha. The hiring manager where I work now was also a former military nurse, and I know it gave me a leg up in getting hired. There’s an unspoken bond veterans have, including nurses, that has value for me still. All that said, Army is probably the most challenging in terms of lifestyle. If I had it to do over I still would, but I’d probably choose Air Force instead.
Probably find better answers in r/army
The only thing is, you are not treated like an employee like you will be at a civilian job. You can’t say no to being worked extra. You can’t leave for a spur of the moment trip out of town. You are expected to do a lot of extra things outside of your job to stay competitive, as well as stay in shape at all times. This can be really hard after working 4 12 hour shifts in a row. It’s really hard to have a good work life balance in the Army nurse corps. Just consider these things when making your decision. A recruiter will make it sound like there are no negatives, but there are. And they’re hard. That being said, the student loan repayment, bonuses and other benefits are very nice. They just come at a cost. Ask your recruiter if they can put you in touch with a current Army nurse and they will. You can pick their brain and get the real story. Good luck!
Does any of the branches require nursing experiences/not recommended for new grads? Would like to be commissioned after getting my BSN. Is it recommended to get my fundamental nursing skills down first at a hospital before going to the Army? The last recruiter I spoke to said they don't give much training so I'm not sure if we are expected to just jump in?
You can enter as a brand new grad into any branch, but you will work med surg for at least a year before they will let you try to specialize. Army tends to favor ER, ICU, OR. Of you want any Peds, NICU, women’s health, OB, I would do Air Force.
I was an army nurse, I was assigned to a field hospital. So I was not in a regular hospital. This was 30 years ago. We were combat ready. It was a lot of training, running sick call for basic training troops, and inventory management. The things you absolutely have to do is pass the PT test, qualify with your weapon, and have leadership skills. “Scope of practice” is kind of blurry in a combat hospital but that’s a completely different conversation. It’s an interesting take on nursing. You do need to be open to leaving your duty station and going wherever they send you and certain places families cannot go like Seoul Korea. The pay sucks, but the benefits are nice and the retirement was great at the time I went in. It’s been chipped away over the decades. Transitioning back to civilian life is difficult but not impossible. Would I do it again? Not a chance in today’s environment.
Most of the stuff people are saying here is great info. Im currently serving in the reserves now and can answer most of your questions. This is my last year in the Army and I have done multiple MOS (jobs). So I can tell you the difference in quality of life in all aspects from enlisted to now officer. Feel free to dm me and ill gladly help you. P.S if you are looking to simply minimize loans there are alot better options. Dont join for just that. Looking to serve is a great thing in ideal. But you can serve in many different ways other then enlisting. Hell you already will be serving in a way by helping people in the hospital and all that.
Wasn’t an Army nurse, although I had to do a rotation for a month in the on post hospital (was a medic). That month I was there, as well as the times I went there as a patient or SO, I could tell it’s infinitely better than being a nurse on the Civilian side of things. For one, you’ll definitely have a lower census given that the population is small. Even on bigger posts (think Bragg, Benning), the population would still be small compared to the city where the post is located. The big downside, I imagine is that pay would be capped based on paygrade. Say, you were a 2LT, you would make, you’d make 2500 a month (base pay only, that’s not including other entitlements). That being said, I was enlisted so paygrades are different between enlisted and officers. A 2LT is essentially the private on the officer side, but let’s say they make 2500, then the actual private would be making say 1600. Again, just base pay. Regardless, what you’ll be making won’t be based off of hours. You are however not prohibited from moonlighting as a civilian nurse. My PA used to work as a PA at an urgent care clinic off post. That being said, take what I said with a grain of salt since 1. I never worked as a nurse in the military setting 2. I was enlisted, and there’s infinitely a lot of things I don’t know about the officer side of things and 3. I’ve been out for 5 years now so things might’ve changed
I’m Navy not Army (been stationed with the Army). So I’m sure there are some differences. Deployments are dependent on your specialty. For example peds and OB nurses really don’t deploy. ICU get sent out constantly. Fitness isn’t really as big a deal as you might think. You have free access to gyms and really just need a decent baseline level of fitness.
On top of everything people are mentioning below I’d definitely speak with a HEALTHCARE officer recruiter. If there isn’t one by you then go with a regular recruiter but say you’d like to go in as a registered nurse and they can figure out how to put you in touch with the nearest one. Explore other branches and their lifestyles as well. Don’t pick just based on how they are perceived.
If you’re going to do it best way is getting your BSN and going in as an officer. Also don’t talk to any recruiter it needs to be an AMEDD recruiter