navy nursing

[BabyDuck]

this isn't really a dive related thread, except that i'm thinking navy to try to go somewhere diving might be possible...

i'm a nurse. i need a job. i'm considering the military. i'm 37.

suggestions? comments? things to consider? pitfalls? good things?

feel free to reply here or in a pm. feel free to ask more questions to help me think.

 

[DennisS]

USAKA US Army Kwajalein Atoll frequently needs nurses. They have a very active dive club and great prices on boat rentals


http://www.krsjv.com/job_ops_list_cdc.html

http://www.diveadventures.com.au/pages/destinations/Micronesia/Kwajalein.htm

 

[The Kraken]

Watch out, Kwajalein !!!!!
Here comes da DUCK !!!!!

the K

 

[adurso]

Speak to a recruiter. I am not sure if any branch has upped the maximum age for officers, the cut off was 35, but I think the Army is allowing critical areas to go beyond 35. Nurses are commissioned. I know several physicians who are active and reserve and all have nothing bad to say. I enjoyed my time in the service, and would recommend the experience to everyone.

 

[double80s]

this isn't really a dive related thread, except that i'm thinking navy to try to go somewhere diving might be possible...

Where is it that you would like to be diving? Out of Country? If you join the military I don't think they put your hobby at the top of the list when it comes to locating/ stationing people. I'm not in the military, so I could be wrong.

I know in the US there seems to be a shortage of nurses everywhere. My mother is a nurse and had a job in 2 days after moving to California.

 

[BabyDuck]

nah, i know they don't care what i do for fun, but i thought my chances of being able to dive from lejeune, for instance, would be better than leavenworth or colorado springs...

 

[PaulChristenson]

nah, i know they don't care what i do for fun, but i thought my chances of being able to dive from lejeune, for instance, would be better than leavenworth or colorado springs...

I notice that you did not mention overseas assignments...

Here's one for you...

ITALY
SIGONELLA NAVAL AIR STATION

Main phone numbers: 011-39-095-86-1110 or DSN (314) 624-1110
Mailing address: NAS Sigonella, PSC 824 Box 2650, FPO AE 09623
Internet: www.sicily.navy.mil/nassig/ or www.sicily.navy.mil/ncts/index.htm
Location: On the east coast of Sicily

 

[Floridawannabe]

My $.02 is if you go this way. Make sure that in your paperwork, if you are signing up in a critical field, TYPED in BOLD. First duty station is Europe, Asia or if you have a place you want. Unless it is in writing do not believe the recruiter, I got Europe. (GERMANY) Had a blast, but as you said they are not worried about your hobbies. They are real big into if it is not in writing it is not a binding contract.

 

[AaronR103]

this isn't really a dive related thread, except that i'm thinking navy to try to go somewhere diving might be possible...

i'm a nurse. i need a job. i'm considering the military. i'm 37.

suggestions? comments? things to consider? pitfalls? good things?

feel free to reply here or in a pm. feel free to ask more questions to help me think.

Hey. I'm former infantry and will be an army doc if med-school ever ends. The person you need to find is a health-care recruiter, regular recruiters won't know what the are talking about. I could give you the number of mine if you want, but I'm in atlanta and your thread title says you're interested in the navy. I think the army website is healthcare.goarmy.com. The cut-off age is 35, but you can get a waiver, and probably pretty easily considering they need nurses and you won't be going to boot-camp (you'll be direct-commissioned, though I don't know what as). The good things are the pride of serving, working in a well-organized environment, job security, good benefits, and I could be wrong but I believe that the pay for an officer is pretty good compared to that of a civilian nurse. The downsides are the military life-style if you decide you're not a military person (I like it, some don't), you can pretty much count on getting deployed, you will most likely move every 3-4 years, and as you go up in rank you can be stuck in an admin rather than a nursing position. You should look into all the services and see what they can offer you.
A

 

[Tom Winters]

37 is over the age for commisionning except the Navy needs nurses so they routinely grant exemptions for a lot for medical professionals. If they take you, you get to go to Oyster School in Newport - that's Officer Indoctrination School where they actually teach you how to salute and what the different Navy ranks and ratings mean. It's for doctors, lawyers, nurses, and other genteel staff professions. After you complete this, you get a commission as a Lieutenant in the Nurse Corps.
I went to Officer Candidate School at the same base, and in the middle of winter, I had guard duty in the middle of the night. On my rounds, I checked the gym - the Oysters were playing volleyball. A couple of really gorgeous nurses or lawyerettes wanted to know if I was going to stick around for the water balloon fight and ice cream after the volleyball game.
I looked at them, looked around at everyone nice and warm and happy playing in the gym, sighed, reshouldered my Springfield drill piece, and went back into the snow.
If you do well, in about 12 years or so, you'll be a Commander probably pulling down $100K with pay, allowances, incentives and nursing bonus.
The story that I heard about NAS Sigonella is that everyone who goes there for duty takes a rock with them upon departure. This way, one day, Sigonella will disappear.