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Am I able to be in the military for 4 years and then work as a neonatal nurse?

Hey, my name is chance and I attend Aldine Ninth Grade School in Houston Tx. I want to attend the military when I gradate highschool to make my family proud. I also really want to work as a neonatal nurse in the NICU. I love babies and being around them, I also was a baby in the NICU for about 6 months. So I need you're help I was wondering will i be able to go to the military and after 4 years of being in the military will I be able to become a Neonatal Nurse or would I have to go to medical school after military. And what classes should I take in order for me to follow my dreams. #military #medicine #nursing #doctor

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Thank you comment icon Hi Chaance! This is an amazing career goal! I reworded your question title so Professionals have an overall idea what your question is about. Thanks for asking this! Alexandra Carpenter, Admin
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Tonya’s Answer

Thank you for your desire to enter the military, protect others, make your family proud, and serve others in the United State military.

There are great opportunities to become a nurse in the military and work in military settings and serve as a healthcare provider in diverse areas.
In a search I was able to locate the Army Medical Darnall-Hood Hospital with a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Texas. You may be able to contact the hospital to speak with someone who could provide you more information based on your interest.

You do not have to enter medical school to become a neonatal nurse. You can attend nursing school in the military. And, the military can support you in various ways to attend your degree/ degrees and certifications as a nurse.

Ask a military recruiter about the many career opportunities in the military services for nurses. You may be surprised.

A few resources are listed below for your research.

All the very best. And thank you again.

Resources:
Army Medical Darnall-Hood Hospital
https://darnall.tricare.mil/Health-Services/Hospital-Care-Surgery/Neonatal-Intensive-Care-Unit

Johnson & Johnson Nursing – Military Nurse (2021).
https://nursing.jnj.com/specialty/military-nurse

Army nurse recognized with national nursing honor (2021)
https://www.health.mil/News/Articles/2021/05/10/Army-nurse-recognized-with-national-nursing-honor


U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence – U.S. Army Nurse Corps
https://medcoe.army.mil/amedd-army-nurse-corps

Military Nurse Career Overview.
Nurse Journal (2022)
https://nursejournal.org/careers/military-nurse/

Nurses Change Lives (Historical video of the differences nurses have made for patients and healthcare)
Johnson & Johnson’s Video (2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTMuh6AF3A0
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James’s Answer

Hello! Glad to hear that you have an interest in serving the country. It is an honorable profession. You can work in the medical field in the military. Just make sure to choose a branch that has medical job field. For example, the Marine Corps does not, as the Navy handles all their medical needs. As long as you serve four years, you can work any civilian job you wish. You will, however, still be required to attend whatever schooling or training needed for that job. Veterans tend to get better choices. I think it will help you breaking into that field. Best of luck!
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brian’s Answer

I think its great you want to serve! Did you know you can do both! You can join the reserves or the guard, and you could continue your path in nursing while also pursuing the path to serve in the military. You can actually do both jobs or choose a different career path in the military. Cool thing about the guard and the reserves, especially the AF you can choose your career and your station.
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Cameron’s Answer

Hi Chaance!

Those are excellent career goals. In general, military service does not necessarily translate to nursing or medical credit. Nursing licensure requirements vary from state to state, and the requirements for specialization in nursing also varies by state. With that being said, 4 years of service in the military on active duty will make you eligible for the post-9/11 GI Bill, which will cover most, if not all, of the cost of obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Medical School would only be required if you were pursuing a Doctor of Medicine degree in order to be a neonatologist physician.

To specialize as a neonatal nurse generally requires two or more years of clinical experience working with neonatal patients. The steps for becoming a neonatal specialized nurse are covered in this guide by Terri Heimann Oppenheimer: https://nurse.org/resources/neonatal-nicu-nurse/#:~:text=You'll%20need%20to%20get,Maternal%2DChild%20Nursing

If you would like to pursue nursing while in the military, the different branches of service each have nurses serving in hospitals and clinics on military installations. Speaking with a recruiter and expressing interest in serving as a nurse in the military would be a good next step. You can also learn more about military nursing jobs at the following links:

1) https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/career-match/browse-jobs.html?mosGroup=66&x=1.html (Army)
2) https://www.airforce.com/careers/specialty-careers/healthcare/careers/nurse?gclid=CjwKCAiAsYyRBhACEiwAkJFKooF4X4K7erNDAMrlmr-II69_ufcshbJnhLj5Bo3sYw3PZOvj9yw6PxoC3zkQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds (Air Force)
3) https://www.navy.com/careers/nursing (Navy & Marine Corps)

I hope that helps.
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