Running Head: NURSING IN THE MILITARY

Nursing In The Military

Nia Battle
ENG 1313-06, Writing in a Digital World
17 October 2016

Nursing in the Military

NURSING IN THE MILITARY

The field of nursing and deciding whether to go into the military or not are two way
completely different ways to take on life. Both the military and the nursing field are filled with
caring selfless people who have the desire to help others. If that is the case, why no combine the
two? That is right, becoming a nurse while in the military is possible. Through the many
advancements of the world people are able to take on both career fields, the responsibility of
protecting our country and helping care for those who a sick. Luckwaldt (2016) presented the
idea of combing the two professions in an article entitled How to Become a Registered Nurse in
the Military. When Luckwaldt (2016) wrote the article answers to the following questions were
given: What is a nurse? What are the responsibilities of members of the military? Lastly, what is
the payout or advantage for balancing the two? Though Luckwaldt (2016) wrote a very
imformative article, by the end the reader was left in need of a bit more information.
There are various names and definitions for nurses; most can be distinguished by the time
period in which they live and secondly their education level. Nursing, one of the oldest known
professions has truly evolved into a vast career field. A writer for the National Womens History
Museum (NWHM) answered one of Luckwaldts (2016) questions: What is a Nurse?. The
writer wrote informatively and broke down the evolution of nursing. Originally, the field was
filled with women who were called wet nurses. These nurses lived in the home of women who
have just given birth to a baby. Their jobs included breastfeeding and helping the mother recover.
That is very different from nursing today; it is rare to have a nurse to come to your home. In that
time homes were considered the best place to receive health care; time passed and a change came
about when The Civil War gave enormous impetus to the building of hospitals and to the
development of nursing as a credential profession (NWHM). Gradually the nursing field got
closer to the broad nursing field known today. In the later part of the 19th century schools for

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nursing began to come about. The schools were designed primarily for women, based upon the
school they went to determined what cap they got to wear after graduation. The hats show the
correlation between then and now, reason being today, based upon a persons education
determines what one receives as far as a certificate or degree. According to NWHM, the
educated nurses did not get paid and didnt actually get to take on the responsibilities of nurses;
instead, they were asked to do simple jobs such as cleaning. It was not until the 19th century that
nurses began to recognized based upon their educations. Today, the 21st century offers many
levels of nursing such as becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA) within few months, taking
two years to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN), the traditional four-year route and
obtaining your Bachelors also known as a registered nurse (RN), or even going above and
beyond to be a Nurse Practioner. That is just the beginning because the doors of nursing open
many possibilities like working in a hospital, traveling with different agencies, or even like
Luckwaldt spoke about in the article, a nurse in the military.
In a similar light members of the military take on and encounter many things just as
nurses do. There are few similarities between the two professions. First off, people must meet
requirements to actually be able to consider joining the military. The requirements are listed on
the website USA, and consist of being a US citizen or having a green card, be in good health,
be between the ages of 17 and 40 years, have a high school diploma or GED equivalent and
lastly those wishing to be in the military must pass the Armed Service Vocational Aptitude
Battery (ASVAB). With all these requirements factored in the military is able to determine what
branch and jobs would be best for individuals desiring to start a military career. Though these
requirements are different from nurses, the educational aspects have some similarities. Members
of the military are able to move up in their rankings just as nurses can. For example, a CNA may

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have the desire to become a RN; therefore, they take prior knowledge and work toward gaining
new. In the military there are different ways to rank up, members of the military can move up
and eventually have to. One example would be if someone took the educational path and say
became a nurse in the military as Luckwaldt (2016), mentioned, the military member would be
considered an officer. Another way for a member of the military obtain rank is to the fact that
Congress also limits what percentage of the total active duty force can serve in each
commissioned officer rank, with that being said one must show initiative to move up in ranking
(Duffle Blog, 2014). From the civilian standpoint the overall purpose of the military is to protect
the country but the military offers two important components, opportunities and experiences.
With those two components come core values. Each branch has their own set of core values;
loyalty, integrity, and honor are just a few that overlap between the branches. Whether the
member of the military is a soldier in the Army, airman in the Air Force, a marine, or even a
Navy Seal the core values that are instilled in during training are great things to live by. The goal
of core values are to govern how people interact within the organization and guide the actions
of individuals (Military Leadership Diversity Commission). The members of the military are
truly great people with many qualifications, so why couldnt they be nurses too?
As mentioned before the combination of the two professions would be great. It does
come with a lot of work but the payout is out of this world. People can move up in both the
civilian and military standpoints. Luckwaldt (2016) mentioned how the payout of the military are
good, these programs are for those who havent entered the military and those who have. The
branches have separate ways to help civilians. For example, the navy offer programs: Health
Professions Loan Repayment Program (HLRP), the Health Professions Scholarship Program, and
lastly the Health Services Collegiate Program (Luckwaldt). It does not end there with education,

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members of the military will are able to use their GI Bills to further their educations. Those who
decide to take on the task of being a nurse in the military will also get the chance to travel all
around the world. Depending on the branch one may choose to enlist explains what their
specialties may be; these military training and educational experiences help build up who ones
civilian career. Nurses in the Navy are normally asked to receive a EMT certification through
Navy Credentialing Opportunities Online (COOL). With exploring all these wonderful
opportunities, a person may have to stop for various reasons but due to the hard work and
dedication a former military member can transition easily to a civilian career, or even use EMT
as a fallback position if they wish to pursue other opportunities (Luckwaldt, 2016).
Pursuing both a nursing and military career can be considered a challenge filled with
many great advantages. Luckwaldt presented this idea and after doing more research the
challenge is very much conquerable. The different sources show that there are many ways to take
on the challenge. No way is considered right or wrong, instead all would deal with educating
positive selfless people.

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6
References

Department of defense core values. Military Leadership Diversity Commission. Retrieved from:
https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=716045
Fant, C. (2012, July 4). What are the benefits of a military nursing career? Nurse Together.
Retrieved from http://www.nursetogether.com/what-are-benefits-military-nursing-career
Join the military. USA.gov. Retrieved from: https://www.usa.gov/join-military
Luckwaldt, A. (2016, January 31). How to become a registered nurse in the military. The
Balance. Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-become-a-registered-nursein-the-military-2356494
Taub, F. (30 October 2014). The essential to moving up the ranks of the US military. Duffle Blog.
Retrieved from: http://www.duffelblog.com/2014/10/military-ranks-promotion-guide/
Weatherford, D. The evolution of nursing. National Womens History Museum. Retrieved from:
https://www.nwhm.org/blog/the-evolution-of-nursing/