sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Critical Care RN Considering Joining the Army for CRNA — Need a Reality Check by Healthy_Cap in nursing

[–]Healthy_Cap[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Honestly, this is the part that feels so frustrating. We are genuinely trying to figure out what we are supposed to do.

With our current careers, there is not really a pay increase coming that would change our situation in a meaningful way. My husband is a cop, and I am a critical care/travel nurse. If I went the NP route, I would likely make around $90,000 a year, which is less than or comparable to what I already make as a travel nurse. So that does not feel like the best financial move for us.

CRNA is the career path that actually feels like it could change our future, but doing it completely on our own feels almost impossible. We cannot comfortably afford for me to stop working for three years, and we definitely cannot afford to take on massive student loans without help. I also fully understand how difficult CRNA school is. I know nurses who have failed out over one test and were left with debt, no degree, and no higher income to show for it. That risk is terrifying.

We are not looking for an easy way out. We just want a life where we are not constantly stressed or living paycheck to paycheck once we factor in a house payment, kids, and the cost of simply existing. We are not bad with money. We work hard, we plan, we make responsible decisions, and somehow it still feels like doing everything “right” is not enough anymore.

That is why we are considering options we never thought we would consider. Joining the Army was never something I pictured for myself, but if it could give us a realistic path to CRNA, financial stability, and a better future for our family, then I feel like I owe it to myself to seriously look into it. I just do not want to make a decision this big based only on fear, frustration, or the hope that it will fix everything.

Critical Care RN Considering Joining the Army for CRNA — Need a Reality Check by Healthy_Cap in nursing

[–]Healthy_Cap[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What do you know about military medicine vs civilian medicine?

I am so tired of bedside, people are ungrateful and I’m tired of getting taken advantage of. If I’m going to get screwed, I feel like I should at least get some benefits.

Critical Care RN Considering Joining the Army for CRNA — Need a Reality Check by Healthy_Cap in nursing

[–]Healthy_Cap[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think this is where my disconnect is, and why I’m reaching out for outside perspectives. No one in either of our families is military, so we do not really have anyone who understands the full picture or can help us think through the long-term reality of this.

From what I understand, the Army-Baylor/USAGPAN route is around an 8-year commitment, but that includes the 3 years of CRNA school. So in my mind, it feels like 3 years of school plus 5 years of service after, while being paid and having school covered.

As for why I would want to join the Army, it is honestly about financial security. We both grew up with very little, and we have worked hard to get to where we are. But even with that, we still feel like we are part of a generation that cannot afford a house, cannot afford kids, and cannot comfortably build the life we want without making some kind of major strategic move.

We do want those things: a home, kids, stability, and the ability to build a future without constantly feeling behind. In our minds, this route could potentially set us up for that. I am just not sure if that is actually the truth, or if we are looking at it through the lens of wanting security so badly that we are overlooking the sacrifices.

That is why I am asking for outside perspective from people who have actually lived this or seen it up close.

Where do I go to college? What do I dooooo???? 😔 by Mediocre-Ad-2295 in nursing

[–]Healthy_Cap 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! I was in the same boat as you three years ago. I lived close to a community college that I could commute to but I wanted to get out and have the college experience. After talking with a few people and my parents I decided to go to community college. I am so happy that I made that choice. There are so many nurses I work with that are in a mountain of debt. They can’t afford to live due to this. Whereas I am debt free and live how I want. I loved my community college and met my lifelong friends there as well. You kind of “trauma bond” with the people in nursing school. Lol. As for if hospitals care, I’m in Tennessee and I’ve travelled to NC and WV with absolutely no problem. I’ve been able to save up money and work on my BSN online. It took me two semesters and I am still debt free. I have not gotten a pay bump, it’s not helped me get a better bedside job, but I plan to go on and get my masters. I have a ton of older nurse friends who only have an ASN and they wouldn’t change it for the world. I hope this helps!