Military Nursing

These nurses provide medical care for fellow soldiers in all branches of the US military, including Army, Navy, Air Force, as well as in the US Public Health service. Military nurses provide all aspects of traditional nursing care and practice in both peace- and war-time settings through various branches of the military service. Classifications include active duty, reserves, civilian employment, and employers include the U.S. government as well as contract agencies for civilian employment.

Duties of a Military Nurse

The important duty to understand in the military nursing profession is that military comes first and nursing comes second. With that said, the military provides an ideal environment for nurses to continue their education in their specialty and/or in leadership training. Unlike traditional warfare, current warfare offers a different nursing situation. There are fewer gunshot wounds and other typical military injuries and more land-mine injuries, injuries from car accidents and blast injuries. The majority of wounds tend to be to the extremities because of the use of body armor that covers the thoracic region with Kevlar and ceramic plates. Expect to work with shock trauma units and closely with other branches of the military while in the field.

When not on the front line or in the field, many military nurses are sent to school to upgrade their degrees at college campuses or through online courses. Additionally, nurses in the military could be assigned to research or teaching units to help other military nurses along.

Related Types of Nurses

Since military nurses are trained for leadership, including the use and knowledge of military weapons and combat leadership skills, a similar profession might include forensic nursing. And, while not all military nurses see front line action, their ability to deal with shock and trauma might prove similar to nurses who work in surgery, triage and hospitals. But, since nurses from all specialties are welcome in the military, many who leave this field might find leadership roles in their specialties if they leave the military for civilian life.

Military Nursing Degrees

Although individuals can enter the army and choose nursing, it helps to have a nursing diploma or certification already under the belt. For instance, RNs go into the Army through the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) or by direct commission after graduating from college. Usually, their first mission is not medical, as military aspects predominate. Instead, leadership training is instilled from the beginning, as military nurses have the opportunity to earn rank. Command schools and nursing management courses such as head nurse development and advanced nursing leadership are mandatory and every Army nurse begins with an Officers Basic Course, an immersion into military culture and standards. At the top level, senior nursing officers study leadership at the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, where issues range from military strategy to national security. This military discipline and leadership training bodes well for nurses who leave the military, as their exposure to such education can lead to leadership roles in the civilian nursing world. However, to stay in military service often means the ability to obtain higher degrees and rank and a decent retirement plan.

Find a Nursing Degree

Top 10 Online Nursing Schools

LPN to BSN RN to BSN	Indiana State University — LPN to BSN and RN to BSN. Indiana State offers concentrations in the areas of family nurse practitioner, nursing administration, and nursing education.
BS in Nursing MSN - Acute Care	Liberty University — RN to BSN Degree and MSN Degree. The Department of Nursing at Liberty prepares students for baccalaureate level nursing, putting strong emphasis on Christian ethical standards and viewing nursing as a ministry of caring.
RN to BSN RN to MSN MSN - Nurse Administration More...	Kaplan University — Bachelor's, and Master's Nursing Degrees. Kaplan's School of Nursing offers specializations for nurse administrators and nurse educators.
RN to BSN MSN - Nurse Education MSN - Nurse Leadership More...	Grand Canyon University — BS in Nursing (BSN) and MBA/MS in Nursing. Grand Canyon University offers a unique MBA/MS in nursing degree program that teaches students about the business aspect of healthcare, specifically nursing healthcare. Current nurses who want more business experience will find this may be an ideal fit.
RN to BSN MS in Nursing Nursing Healthcare Certificate More...	University of Phoenix — BSN, MSN, and Certificate. The University of Phoenix is the nation's largest online university and currently offers several nursing programs at three different degree levels, based on previous nursing education and experience.
RN to BSN MSN - Nurse Educator PhD - Nurse Educator More...	Capella University — BSN, MSN, and PhD in Nursing Education. Capella prides itself on being an accredited online college. With its nurse education programs, Capella offers two levels, master's and PhD. Either is optimal for the working nurse who wants to enter a role as educator in the field.
BS in Nursing RN to MSN BSN to MSN More...	Walden University — M.S. in Nursing (RN Track), M.S in Nursing (BSN Track). Walden offers a wide variety of nursing degrees and certificates that are all accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
MSN - Adult Nursing MSN - CNS/Educator MSN - Nurse Administrator More...	University of Cincinnati — Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN). The University of Cincinnati College of Nursing prepares its nursing students for working with 21st century healthcare technologies to improve patient quality and administer healthcare procedures.
RN to BSN MS in Nursing MSN - Nurse Education More...	South University — RN to BSN and MS in Nursing. The nursing programs at South University prepares its student for professions in a wide variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and school health clinics.
RN to BSN MS in Nursing	Chamberlain College of Nursing — MSN and BSN. Because of the Web-based education that Chamberlain provides, students are able to earn their nursing degree at their own pace. From Chamberlain, students can choose from either a bachelor's degree level or master's degree level, depending on previous experience.
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