I want to be a nurse but might go to military first?

Question

What can I be in the military that is health related and would get credits toward nursing. Also which branch should I join

Answer 1

You could be a CorpsMen in the Navy and work for the Marines.

Answer 2

No, you don't need any prior credentials to join the service. You only need a high school diploma, and an efficient score on your ASVAB for the field you're applying for. They give you all the necessary training if you pass all the entrance exams, written and physical, and sign a contract with them to work for an agreed amount of time. (usually 4 years).

If you'd like to be a nurse, I highly recommend becoming a Navy corpsman. Even if you decide on another service for nursing, you'll probably still end up working in a Naval unit anyway, they have the best medical facilities. When I went to college to become a nurse myself, I did several clinical rotations in a Naval Hospital and worked along with them. They were doing the exact same work I was being trained for, except theirs was free. As an enlisted, you can use your training as college credits should you decide to further your degree to a Bachelor's, and your GI Bill (benefits) will pay a portion for it. If you apply for officer's candidate school, the Navy may pay for your 4 year degree.

If you'd like to know more, call your local recruiter or browse online and request information pamphlets.

Answer 3

All the branches have a medical corps. I only have experience with the Air Force, so I can't comment on the other branches in detail. I would expect that to be a doctor or nurse in the military, you would need to have credentials beforehand. There are other medical fields that the military will train you in, but the primary care personnel require medical training prior to joining.
Now, don't take that as written in stone. I'm not a recruiter, so I'm not the expert on this. I recommend getting with a recruiter and getting more information. You might see if you can get in touch with some military medical personnel and ask them about it. Most large Air Force Bases have some sort of medical facility. I'm sure that's true of the other branches as well.

Answer 4

There are several options open to you. You could go enlisted and become a corpsman. (No, not all services have medical personnel. The Marines don't. They use the Navy's. If you are a male you can go into FMF, fleet marine force and go with the Marine’s guaranteed. If you are a female, it's luck of the orders.) You can also go enlisted to nurse. And you can also go straight to nurse through an officer program. (I've listed several below.) Your best bet is to talk to a recruiter and do a lot of research.
You can also go into the Coast Guard as a Health Services Tech.
Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC): Provides up to four years tuition while pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, plus books and an allowance ranging from $250-$400 per month while a student. Graduates are then commissioned as an Officer in the Navy Nurse Corps.

Nurse Candidate Program (NCP): Provides a stipend for full-time students in an accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Students can enroll after their sophomore year and receive $10,000 in two installments, plus $1,000 monthly for up to 24 months.

The Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program (AFHPSP): Provides optometry students full tuition for up to four years of training, including all school-required fees and expenses, books and equipment (excludes food, housing and computers). Also includes a monthly stipend of at least $1,319.

The Health Services Collegiate Program (HSCP): You can get military pay and allowances competitive with many entry-level management positions, plus benefits, for up to 24 months while still in school for some master’s programs and up to 36 months for various PhD programs. All you have to do is join the Navy for a specified time (depending on the program you enter). This year the fields that were offered included Master’s degrees in Health Care Administration, Environmental Health, Industrial Hygiene, and Radiation Health. PhD programs included Medical Entomology, Pharmacy, Optometry, and Physiology.

Answer 5

If you go into the service, any branch, they do have nurses so I would really suggest doing that. Then, when you get out of the service, you will be a full fledged nurse and wont have to worry about going to school for it. They will pay for your schooling for becoming a nurse and all of your training. Just think, free education! For becoming a nurse and going into the military, any branch would work.

Answer 6

If you want to get in the pre-clinical college courses while in the military, you may have a great plan. I once worked with a nurse who had in a previous life been a Marine DI. Good man.

Answer 7

Not sure if anyone has answered this for you, being you wanted to go into the military first, why not do both they will train you to be a nurse and you can still be in the military.

Answer 8

Go to nursing school, become a RN. Then if you want to go in the Military you will start as an Officer and make more money.

Answer 9

You could search Yahoo Answers for Nurse Army and such.

It really is simple, but still a "maze".

All three branches have a "Nurse Corps" of commissioned officers who are RN's. Registered Nurses with a BA/BS degree.

All have dozens of medical related specialities (MOS) that cover every job you will find in a civilian medical center.

If you serve 3-4 years, well you can attend regular college on many bases-posts. Transfering credits for military training is difficult for the RN programs. I attached the links to the Army nurse options and they link to the general medical fields for enlisted.

Medics are busy now as anyone knows, so your time for taking course may be limied, granted you will learn enough to be even "bored" in civilian nursing school, you can select a specilaity to is medical that requires a lot of people-patient contact or something clinical-technical that does not.

My experience was "good", I ended up going into clinical psychology after nursing school, but that is a long road:
army medic, then nurse, then grad and post grad in Psychology: over ten years. I also noted a few other options: you did not ask but the chances of the military sending one off to college are well, it is very difficult to gain admission.


Here are the facts, basically your options are difficult if you enter as an enlisted medic. It is very competitive to get into the "Green
to Gold" as becoming a RN and Nurse Corps Officer.

The Army will train you in any medical specialty that you can think of as well as a "Practical Nurse" option but you remain an enlisted person. Many go to RN school after the army. But if want an Army Career: college first! if you can afford it, good luck.


Do check all the options at colleges and university for getting your RN degree.

http://www.goarmy.com/amedd/nurse/index....

To qualify for an appointment as an Officer in the Army Nurse Corps, you must:

Meet the prescribed medical and moral standards for appointment as a commissioned Officer
Be a United States citizen
Have an associate’s degree in nursing or a three-year nursing diploma or a bachelor of science in nursing for Reserve; have a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) from an accredited school of nursing for Active Duty
Have a valid, unrestricted RN license
Be 21-46 years of age

http://armynursecorps.amedd.army.mil/...

If you’re an Army, Active Duty Enlisted Soldier in any MOS, you may qualify for the Army Medical Department's Enlisted Commissioning Program. You could attend college in a full-time status to complete your Bachelor of Science in Nursing and be commissioned as Second Lieutenant upon attending Officer Basic Course (OBC). Need 2 years college to qualify:

Answer 10

Air Force is the best branch for Nurses. You can go directly into your job. Check out their website. It has info about it on the main page. I think it is www.airforce.com If that isn't it, then the site shouldn't be hard to find at all.

Answer 11

I am not a recruiter, I'm just passing on information. The Army has a program that will allow you to become a nurse and serve your country. They need nurses bad. RNs and LPNs alike.