Do I Have What It Takes to Become a Military Nurse?

• Pursuing a career as a military nurse can be very fulfilling.
• There are several benefits to becoming a military nurse including traveling, loan repayment programs, housing, and full insurance coverage!
• Want to learn more? Check out Nursing CE Central’s guide to everything you need to know about becoming a military nurse!

Military nurses come from diverse fields and backgrounds and have many skill sets.  

Just as civilian nurses, military nurses can serve and work in a variety of places, fields, and specialties. 

Interested in what it takes to become a military nurse? Check it out! 

What Do They Do?

When considering the daily tasks of a civilian RN (monitoring patients, taking vitals, transporting, etc.) a military nurse fulfills these same duties, but in very different environments. 

For example, they will typically work in hospitals and clinics on base, however, in some cases, they can serve in warzones, caring for military personnel who have been injured in active combat. 

Although each branch varies, Nursingschool.org highlights that military nurses are actively recruited in the Army, Army National Guard, Navy, and Air Force. 

The Benefits of Becoming a Military Nurse

The military offers several amazing benefits for allied health professionals looking to serve!  

If you were to join the military, you would be commissioned as an officer and have the chance to see the world through new experiences and places; military nurses travel and move often.  

The U.S. Army offers fully covered insurances policies, housing, student loan repayment programs, and so much more.  

If you are interested in serving the U.S., but also have dreams of advancing your degree, I recommend exploring all the benefits that each branch offers to nurses.  

Now, if you are wondering if you will be called into harm’s way, the answer is maybe, as there is always that possibility.  

Some military nurses may have a relatively uneventful career, while others may face danger during their careers.  

If you are interested in joining the military, you should check out the different sectors of nursing that are available; some examples are:  

• The Navy Nurse Corps  
• The Army Nurse Corps  
• Air Force 

According to the Nursing 2021 Journal of Clinical Excellence, the Army, Navy, and Air Force offer both active duty (full-time) and reserve duty (part-time) opportunities for nurses.  

Some of the requirements include: 

• Having a current license to practice nursing 
• Being a BSN graduate of an accredited school of nursing to qualify for active duty (BSN is preferred but not required in the reserves) 
• Being a U.S. citizen (although foreign nationals who are legally residing in the United States may be eligible). 

Another advantage of joining any of the branches is that you will have the opportunity to advance your education, as all branches of the U.S. military are held in high regard for their support of continued learning.  

So, do you think you have what it takes?  

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