Registered Nurse

To be eligible to enlist in the U.S. Navy, candidates must be between the ages of 18-34

The greatest reward for nearly every nurse is the joy of serving others. But in the Navy Nurse Corps, when you work to improve the lives of others, you can vastly improve your own—both professionally and personally. As a Navy Nurse, you will serve your country by helping not only those in the military who defend it but also their families and people in need around the globe. Excellent scholarship opportunities mean you may graduate from nursing school potentially debt-free, and specialty training opportunities can give you a competitive edge in your field.

NURSING CAREERS IN THE NAVY 

NURSE ANESTHETISTS
Administer general and regional anesthesia, monitor patients receiving anesthesia and assist in
instructing medical trainees and other Officers.

PRIMARY CARE NURSE PRACTITIONERS
Provide comprehensive health care and health maintenance for service members and their families.

MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSES
Assess, plan and implement direct nursing care of patients on an assigned unit and assume charge nurse responsibilities.

PERIOPERATIVE NURSES
Plan, implement and evaluate nursing care of surgery patients.

CRITICAL CARE NURSES
Provide highly skilled, specialized nursing care to critical patients—including en route care—and train personnel in critical care nursing procedures.

MENTAL HEALTH NURSES AND NURSE PRACTITIONERS
Provide direct patient care in mental health services, and lead and train other military and civilian personnel.

MILITARY-SPECIFIC SPECIALIZATIONS
Focus on education and training, manpower systems analysis and nursing research.

PAY AND BENEFITS

Attend the medical school of your choice and graduate debt-free through our scholarship and loan repayment programs, up to 100% tuition coverage.
• Competitive salary
• Free health insurance
• Free housing
• A retirement plan
• 30 days paid vacation per year
EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

Wherever you are in your nursing career, the Navy can help ease your financial burdens and advance your career with generous financial assistance and continuing education programs. Available offers could consist of anything from scholarships to sign-on bonuses to loan repayment assistance. And help could potentially be available whether you’re in graduate school or already in practice.

High School Students
Through a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Nurse Option scholarship, the Navy can cover the full cost—up to $180,000—of your nursing education at some of the best colleges and universities in the country.

Nursing Students
If you’re a nursing student opting to serve full-time in the Navy, you could get up to $34,000 to help pay your way through nursing school through the Nurse Candidate Program (NCP).

Graduate Students
If you’re a graduate student enrolled in a postgraduate nursing program in certain nursing specialties and opting to serve part-time as a Reserve Officer, you may qualify for up to $50,000 in nursing school loan repayment assistance.

Practicing Nurses
If you’re a practicing nurse opting to serve part-time as a Reserve Officer, you may qualify for an immediate, one-time sign-on bonus of up to $30,000. And depending on your specialty, you may have the option of choosing between a sign-on bonus, nursing school loan repayment assistance or specialty pay.

Speak to a recruiter to learn what you qualify to receive.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Nurse Corps Officers may serve at any one of more than 250 Navy and medical facilities around the globe, from Hawaii to Japan, Germany to Guam and Washington, D.C., to Washington state. As a Navy Nurse, you could work at one of the highly acclaimed National Naval Medical Centers in Bethesda, MD, Portsmouth, VA or San Diego, CA. Or you could provide medical support aboard one of two dedicated hospital ships—the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy. Additional opportunities are available on surface ships, with aircraft squadrons or even with the Fleet Marine Force.
QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

To become a Commissioned Officer in the Nurse Corps, qualifications include:

U.S. Citizen between the ages of 18 and 41
• Currently licensed and practicing nursing in the U.S. (new graduates must obtain a license within one year of beginning Active Duty service)
• In good standing (as a student or graduate) with a CCNE-accredited U.S. education program granting a
Bachelor of Science degree

General qualifications may vary depending upon whether you’re currently serving, whether you’ve served before or whether you’ve never served before. 

PART-TIME OPPORTUNITIES

There are part-time opportunities as a Reserve Navy Nurse. Serving part-time as a Navy Reserve Nurse, your duties will be carried out during your scheduled drilling and training periods. During monthly drilling, Nurse Corps Officers in the Navy Reserve typically work at a location close to their homes.

Take a moment to learn more about the general roles and responsibilities of Navy Reserve Sailors.