Hello

[Ella_Bella]

Hey everyone my name is Ellen I'm new here. I really want to join the navy and want to be a military nurse. I'm not sure if I should go through with the Licensed Vocational Nursing program first and then join or if I should join now and go to school while im in the navy. Either way I want to join so if you have any words of advice or want to tell me about what I should expect at basic training mentally or physically I would greatly appreciate it thanks.

[ProudNavyGirlfriend]

Welcome to the boards! :D

First I wanted to say, you're very pretty! :) Lol

And the second, I wish I could tell you about the two choices you have but I personally don't know

And as far as the boot camp training goes - Matt (my boyfriend) and possibly everyone else on here says its just a bunch of mind games. But as long as you listen and do what you're told you'll be fine. :) Physically - its a huge workout!! Haha

[cousinIT]

Boot camp isn't bad...they yell a lot and work you out a lot, but it's all in getting you in the mind set of being a Sailor. Physically it really isn't that bad, the only part I hated and still hate is running!! I hate it. But other than that it's not bad at all. You're getting paid while you're there...just remember that and you'll be fine :laugh:

[Ella_Bella]

Thank you for the compliment ProudNavyGirlfriend.....

I appreciate your guys advice. I've been working on my running and am able to do 2 miles under 20 minutes I still have a ways to go but I want to be as prepared as I can physically and mentally for basic training as possible.

[ProudNavyGirlfriend]

Oh Lord, the subject of running is brought up again. XD Lol. For the brave women who deal with running. Haha!!

[Retired Navy Chief]

Hey everyone my name is Ellen I'm new here. I really want to join the navy and want to be a military nurse. I'm not sure if I should go through with the Licensed Vocational Nursing program first and then join or if I should join now and go to school while im in the navy. Either way I want to join so if you have any words of advice or want to tell me about what I should expect at basic training mentally or physically I would greatly appreciate it thanks.

Kinda depends on if you are already on track with that nursing program. If you have already obligated funds and have the path mapped out .... maybe finish that first.

If not ... then look at enlisting as a hospital corpsman or dental technician and use the Navy college tuition assistance to take care of things.

My thinking is that any time that you can work in the same field that you want to go to school for .... it adds some serious substance to your education. Do you agree ?

Not to mention .... you would be surrounded by Navy Medical Chiefs & Officers who can mentor you along the way to your goal.

Cheers,
PISTOL

[Ella_Bella]

Kinda depends on if you are already on track with that nursing program. If you have already obligated funds and have the path mapped out .... maybe finish that first.

If not ... then look at enlisting as a hospital corpsman or dental technician and use the Navy college tuition assistance to take care of things.

My thinking is that any time that you can work in the same field that you want to go to school for .... it adds some serious substance to your education. Do you agree ?

Not to mention .... you would be surrounded by Navy Medical Chiefs & Officers who can mentor you along the way to your goal.

Cheers,
PISTOL

Well... I passed the entrance exam but i don't have a guaranteed spot in the nursing program I won't know till after may. What do I have to do to be a hospital corpsman?

[poddoc]

Welcome. I am a physician and considered (considering joining the Navy). You can finish nursing school and then apply to the Navy as an officer and instead of boot camp go to officer development school (which is a 5 week training course designed for doctors, nurses, lawyers and hospital administration). If you wait and go in after you finish nursing school, you can get loan repayment for schooling. It just depends on how you want to do things. You need to take the ASVAB and score high enough to get the rate. Then you would go through MEPS and choose your job, then boot camp and then A school for training. After A school you would go to your 1st duty station and then you would have to apply for the college training program (basically you apply to the Navy for them to pay for college) and then you apply to your nursing school and the Navy will pay for the schooling and your salary while in school. It sounds like a good deal, but it may take you longer to complete your schooling then if you would do it as a civilian (not to mention that military medicine is DIFFERENT than that of civilian medicine). I did a residency at a VA and dealt with active duty as well as retired and medically disabled personnel. I loved dealing with the patients, but the bureaucracy was something else!

Good luck.

[sweetmtn]

First let me say WELCOME ABOARD! Have you talked to a recruiter yet? As some ratings are getting very hard to obtain as the military has just about reached the numbers for the year as far as enlisted. At this point you have several options, and if you want to make this a career, you may want to concider an officers route.