Let's be an Army Nurse!!

June 2019 - What is OML? OML is the Order of Merit List. Your recruiter should explain this to you when you submit your application. The recruits who submitted applications for the board are placed in order according to credentials, experience, recommendations, and certifications. The people who are chosen first are given a “spot” and told they are accepted, and the others who are “extra” applicants are placed on the OML list to wait for a spot. These people will be pulled if someone who has been chosen gets pregnant, becomes injured, or backs out of their commitment before the contract is signed.      I was placed on the OML list for about a week (in which I panicked like nobody’s business) and then promptly received a call from my recruiter about being pulled from the list anyway. So, accepted! WOOHOO! It’s happening!      Now wait. And wait. And wait. Freak out a little bit, have a few panic attacks, answer all your family’s questions and conce...

Overthinking in May 2019 I was doing some reading and forgot about my pets! I realized while I was reading through another army nurse’s blog that if accepted, I’ll be bringing the fur-babies with me. Several things are required in order for them to travel, so look these things up ahead of time.  Since Hawaii was my #1 choice, I’ll caution you that it’s a rabies-free state so they quarantine each pet for a certain amount of time to make sure they have been vaccinated or to vaccinate them and wait a period of time for effectiveness… which can take several weeks. Poor babies :( So, I promptly called the vet to schedule microchipping for the pooch (it was already done by the shelter for my cat). Most shelters these days make sure to microchip and spay/neuter pets before they are adopted. I’ve been procrastinating on the dog’s annual appointment for shots/booster/parasite check and I still have to microchip her. I’m going to take the time while I’m waiting (endlessly) to set up an appoi...

Waiting Game (May 2019) This month I’ll be going crazy while the board convenes. They all have to come together and look at each nurse's application and packet and decide who they can take and who has to wait (depending on how much space they have for new nurses of each specialty). To keep myself busy, I’ve decided to look ahead to all the documents that are required for in-processing when you show up for training (and for getting pay/housing figured out). There is a list here for what you’ll need. Please note they must be CERTIFIED copies, meaning with an official seal. Not just a photocopy. Many of these things may take time (like requesting extra birth certificates or your marriage certificate if you lost it).  Here’s where I started:   I got an organizer file thingy like this to hold all my documents so I wouldn’t be looking everywhere for crap when it’s time to go. That’s my life.      My immunizations were all done after a certain year when the...

MEPS (April 1 2019)  MEPS is the day you go to a dedicated building to be medically evaluated for approval to join, and receive any waivers for medical conditions you may have. Enlisted folks (who are not medical) usually leave for basic FROM meps when they're finished, and you will NOT. Don't freak out. *Bring any documentation you have about surgeries you've had or medical conditions* I took my record of my Csection 2 years prior and my most recent lady-exam. First, I’ll start by advising that you shouldn’t believe everything you read about MEPS. A lot of those things you read will be written by someone enlisted (no degree, straight out of high school). Those people will (historically) be treated like cockroaches at MEPS, and your recruiter should be going with you to make sure that doesn’t happen. Sometimes they may not realize you’re signing up to be an officer until after you’ve been through a few stations, and then no one screams at you.  I arrived early after a 2 ho...

Intro/Processing  (Feb-March 2019) I’m a mother of two boys: ages 3 and 8. I’ve been a nurse since May 2015, and I’ve had a background in cardiology, PACU, ICU, and now ED respectively. Once I decided it was time to pursue my ARMY dream (after extensive talks with the hubs), the amount of paperwork and confusion that followed was pretty substantial. I spent hours and hours looking through google searches for the answers to my questions and realized there weren’t many people out there who chose to share their information and guidance during this process. So, I decided to share mine in case there is someone out there who might want to know how this works. Here goes! So you’ve decided you’re ready to talk to a recruiter. If you’re a medical professional with a degree (dentist, nurse, doctor), talk to an AMEDD recruiter. Once I went to the army recruiter and he slyly tried to sign me on as a medic (an EMT basically). Nice try, bud. You may have to drive far for one of these so use your...