A lot of people picture nurses in only one place – a hospital. The picture may be cliché, but it really is the most common picture we're given in the media, in pictures, and even in storybooks when we are children growing up. Nurses are everywhere, and called upon to take part in the care of people around the world in every setting, during peace times and during times of war. In this article we will touch on just a few branches and responsibility of Navy and Army nurses.

A Brief History of Army and Navy Nurses

Army nurses are in a special branch of the military known as the Army Medical Department of the U.S. Army (AMEDD). This department consists of the Army's six special corps and was founded as the Army Hospital in 1775, during the Revolutionary War. The AMEDD is in the Active Army, the U.S. Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard.

In 1901 the Army Nurse Corps was founded. The Army Nurse Corp (ANC) nurses hold an unrestricted Registered Nurse license and are commissioned officers. Nurses in the Active Army need to have at least a four year Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Those in the reserves only need a two year Associate of Science in Nursing or a three year Diploma in Nursing.

In 1908 the U.S. Congress established the United States Navy Nurse Corps. While this was the official establishment, nurses did work actively on Navy ships and in hospitals for almost 100 years before. In fact, records show that there were several African American women nurses on the Red Rover hospital ship during the Civil War, and in 1898, during the Spanish-American War, there were a number of nurses in hospitals and on the ship called the Solace. The U.S. Navy nurses saw their first onboard service in 1913. Fast forward to World War I, and by the time the war was over there were more than 1500 nurses serving in base hospitals in Europe and at home. After the war, the number of Navy nurses dropped and in while the U.S. Army nurses finally achieved recognition as commissioned officers in 1920, Navy nurses didn't achieve the same status until World War II.

There were other conflicts and over the course of time, including the Vietnam war, and we did lose nurses in the course of duty. Two ships were named after Navy Nurse Corps Officers: The USS Higbee (DD-806) was the first U.S. Warship named to honor a woman, Lenah Higbee, the second Superintendent of Navy Nurses; The USS Dorothea L. Dix (AP-67), named for Dorothea Dix, the First Superintendent of Army Nurses. There is also the USS Florence Nightingale (AP-70), named after the famous nurse.

So What Do Army Nurse Corps Officers Do?

The Army Nurses are strong and provide multi-disciplinary care for soldiers, their families, and non-military individuals. Officers in the Army Nurse Corps are a special breed. Typical responsibilities might include commanding and controlling different shifts in field hospitals or Medical Activity (MEDDAC) installation, or even leading huge teams at Medical Centers (MEDCEN).

Combining the most caring and heart felt desire to help people get well with the responsibility and organizational skills as a professional in the army, Nurse Corps Officers have the opportunity to specialize in several fields including:

• Critical care
• Operating Room
• OB/GYN
• Psychiatric/Mental Health
• Army Public Health
• Emergency Room
• Medical-Surgical

And should you decide to enter graduate school to achieve the level of an Advanced Practice Nurse, there are opportunities so specialize as a:

• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
• Family Nurse Practitioner
• Nurse Midwife
• Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
• And more.

Do You Have to Go to Boot Camp?

Army Medical Department Officers (AMEDD) don't do the same basic training that regular soldiers have to. Army Medical Department Officers take the two week Officer Basic Leader Course (OBLC), which trains them on the Army way and the Army Health Care System. All officers still must pass the Army Physical Fitness Test.

Army Nursing Back at Home

By choosing to be a military nurse, you are not giving up a future in hospitals and clinics back at home. Your qualifications are exactly the same as a Registered Nurse in the non-military world.

Navy Nurses Corps Officer

Navy Nurses help attend to the needs of sailors, marines, servicemen and servicewomen, and their families, as well as provide care as part of humanitarian efforts around the world. Navy Nurse Corps Officers have amazing opportunities and can specialize in numerous areas including, but not limited to:

• Critical care
• Education
• Emergency Trauma
• Medical-Surgical
• Neonatal Intensive Care
• Nurse Anesthetist
• Nurse Practitioner – Psychiatric
• Nurse Practitioner – Family
• Perioperative
• Public health
• Research
• And more…!

Full-time Navy Nurses must licensed to practice nursing within the U.S. and be willing to serve at least three years of active duty, be between the ages of 18-42 and pass a full medical examination. In 1987, the Navy Nurse Corps Association was established as a way to bring all Navy Nursed Corps Officers together.

Choosing the Military Career Path

It would be nice to say that we were are in a world where military personnel are not necessary and everyone can rest well in a world of peace. Unfortunately, this isn't the reality. Medical care for the men and women serving in the military is an ongoing need and it is the medical professionals like the nurses that heal the bodies, minds, and spirits of those who need them.

The military medical path does offer training and careers to those who choose them. One source states that Navy Nurse Corps Officers receive up to 30 days of paid vacation, 401k plans and other terrific benefits. It's important that anyone interested in pursuing this kind of training carefully check out the details with recruiting officers and the U.S. Navy website and U.S. Army website.

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