New to the site

[RedRaider]

Hey guys, I am an ICU nurse in north Houston, TX. We do everything in my ICU (hearts, heads, general ICU), and I worked in a Neuro/Surgical ICU before that. I am working on my master's as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. Highly considering a career in the military after I graduate because of what is going on in congress with health care and what's been done to the economy.

[cali510]

:60: Welcome to the site.

[SoldierNurse]

Hey guys, I am an ICU nurse in north Houston, TX. We do everything in my ICU (hearts, heads, general ICU), and I worked in a Neuro/Surgical ICU before that. I am working on my master's as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. Highly considering a career in the military after I graduate because of what is going on in congress with health care and what's been done to the economy.

I'm not so sure you would be able to utilize your NP in the military... at least not in the traditional sense. Don't even talk to a military healthcare recruiter until you have completed your masters. BTW, military healthcare is somewhat similar to socialized medicine. Not saying that is a bad reflection on MY profession, quite the contrary. Just make sure your military nursing intentions are for the right reasons.

Oh yea, WELCOME & HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

[RedRaider]

Thanks for the reply. I am aware that military nursing is basically socialized medicine. However, my main point in what I posted was that, if everything goes socialized (or the trojan horses are put in place in private industry), I would much rather be taking care of soldiers. I have personally always wanted to be in the military, and I don't think there is a finer group of patients I could lend my lend my services.

As for being able to utilize my NP, my former roommate is in Air Force nursing right now, and he has NPs make rounds on his patients every shift. I am still doing my research right now, but I am really leaning toward the military. No offense to anyone who loves his/her nursing job, but I seem to have less and less pride in what I do the more meth addicts I take care of who degrade me for 12 hours straight. I would have a lot of pride in what I do if I was taking care of the men and women putting it all on the line for the country.

[SoldierNurse]

RR, sounds like your on track for the AF. They do have shorter deployments than Army nurse officers. Nonetheless, unless deployed OCONUS most of your patients stateside will be veterans or military retirees.

As my luck would have it when I was deployed to Iraq for 15 months the mission was detainee healthcare... conserving their fighting strength, lol.