A transition from military to nursing can be a natural progression of both skills and experience gained from your time in the military. By exploring the advantages of a nursing career, you can discover your education options in your transition.
After completing your military service, you may be looking for a career that can apply the useful soft skills that you exercised while in the military. One possible field you can enter is becoming a registered nurse (RN), which will utilize your technical and leadership skills. Whether or not you served in a healthcare-related role, the qualities you gained likely make you an ideal candidate for employers.
Transitioning from the military to RN would require obtaining a nursing degree and passing a licensing exam, but many colleges offer accelerated programs that leverage your previous college credits or degree to graduate sooner.
If you’ve completed a non-nursing bachelor’s program, Concordia University, St. Paul’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program is a great place to kickstart your transition from military to nursing. In as few as 16 months, you can learn how to apply your skills in a healthcare field through a curriculum consisting of online-based coursework, on-campus nursing skills labs and clinical learning experiences in healthcare facilities.
Why Switch Career from Military to Nursing?
Perhaps you joined the service because you felt called to a higher purpose. Many nurses say that is a main reason why they chose their profession. It is a noble calling to help the sick, especially on their worst days. There are a few different reasons why you may consider switching your career to nursing.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employer Guide to Hiring Veterans, ex-military personnel often have many skills that are applicable to the healthcare field including:
- Creative problem-solving
- Leadership
- A mission-focused approach to work
- Performing well under pressure
- Technical training
- A commitment to serving others
Your experience in exercising these skills gives you a great foundation to build your nursing education on.
Should I become a nurse? Find out how to know if nursing is the right path for you.
The need for nurses is great across the country. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the number of nursing jobs will increase 6% by 2033, faster than the national average for all occupations. By becoming a nurse, you would help fill that need and create more opportunities for your career. As a veteran, you will also be adapted to similar high-stress environments, making the switch from military to RN even easier.
There are a few common nursing roles for ex-military members to fulfill. Though not nearly exhaustive, the following is a list of nursing careers that are most common for military veterans to pursue:
- Critical-Care Nurse: These nurses work in intensive care units within a hospital where patients are often suffering from severe health problems like strokes, heart attacks, or drug overdoses.
- Hospice Care Nurse: They care for the terminally ill in their homes or a facility, helping to make the patient more comfortable at the end of life.
- Pediatric Nurse: Working with children of all ages, pediatric nurses usually assess, administer medications, give immunizations, and communicate with both children and their parents or guardians.
- Surgical Nurse: These nurses typically work in a hospital or outpatient surgery center, providing care to patients before, during, or after surgery.
- Telemedicine Nurse: This role in nursing has evolved as technology and communication has improved. Telemedicine nurses interact with patients remotely, evaluating their conditions, prioritizing the urgency of their needs, and providing care.
- Flight Nurse: provide critical medical care to patients during air transport, assessing, stabilizing, and treating patients, while also ensuring patient safety and well-being in-flight.
Earning a bachelor’s degree through an undergraduate nursing program like Concordia University, St. Paul’s ABSN program where you complete clinical learning experiences, will prepare you for a range of practice areas. In addition to exploring different positions, you could earn a certification in a specialty area or pursue an advanced degree.
Various organizations offer specialty certifications. The American Nurses Credentialing Center, for example, administers certifications in Ambulatory Care Nursing, Cardiac-Vascular Nursing, Gerontological Nursing, Informatics, and more.
Once you have gained several years of experience as a practicing nurse, you may be qualified and elect to move into a leadership or managerial role. They include:
- Chief nursing officer (CNO)
- Director of nursing
- Nurse manager
Advanced roles often require a graduate degree, such as a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
Steps to Transition from Military to Nursing
Becoming a nurse after the military involves several steps, including enrolling in an accredited nursing program, earning a degree, and passing the NCLEX exam.
The American Nurses Association lists three education levels aspiring nurses need to become an RN.
- Diploma, typically a two-year vocational program (non-degree)
- Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Nurses with a BSN degree or higher have a more positive impact on patient outcomes and are preferred by employers, studies have shown.
While a traditional BSN degree typically takes four years to complete, some universities like Concordia University, St. Paul offer accelerated programs for those who already have a non-nursing degree.
ABSN programs like Concordia University, St. Paul’s deliver the same quality of education as a traditional four-year undergraduate program with an accelerated curriculum. More benefits of our ABSN program include:
- An accelerated timeline
- Three start dates per year in January, May and September
- Online or hybrid learning options
- Ability to start practicing skills sooner in on-campus nursing skills labs
- Clinical learning experiences in a hospital environment
- Diverse yet like-minded fellow students
How do accelerated programs prepare you for nursing? Find out how these programs expedite your education.
Once you have earned your nursing degree, you will be qualified to sit for the NCLEX. This exam uses case studies similar to scenarios you will face as a nurse to measure your abilities and judgment. Quickly evaluating the situation and making the right decisions about a patient’s care is necessary for success.
The key to passing this exam is to start studying early in your program and tap into the support that Concordia University, St. Paul facilitates through your fellow cohort members, instructors, and test-prep resources.
Military / Corpsman to RN Programs: Why Choose an ABSN?
If you are searching for a corpsman or military medic to RN program, you are making a good choice for your future career. Many veterans find that transitioning to a nursing career is natural after finishing their military service because of the unique set of skills they’ve developed in the military. Nursing is also a great career to fulfill a passion for serving others and the community around you. With so many available roles and opportunities for career advancement, nursing could be the ideal role for a career shift.
An ABSN program like ours can make this transition even easier. With three yearly start dates, opportunities for hybrid learning, and on-campus skills labs, an ABSN program will build on the skills you’ve learned while in the military.
Start Your Journey from Veteran to BSN
If you’re ready to start pursuing a new career after completing your military service, nursing may be the right fit for you. If you already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, you might be eligible for Concordia University, St. Paul’s Accelerated BSN program and earn your nursing degree in as few as 16 months.
Contact an admissions advisor today to learn more about how to transition from the military to RN on an accelerated timeline.