Posted on Feb 22, 2020
How can nurses without a bachelor's degree be an officer? Wouldn't it make more sense for them to be warrant officers?
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Nurse
Officer
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 8
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All officers in the Army require at least a bachelor to commission. Years ago, when there was a shortage during the surge years, a person could commission with 60 SH as long as they finished their bachelor before making CPT. At that time you could also join the Army with multiple rape and drug felonies as well.
No, it would not make sense to make them warrants, either. Warrants are not an in between rank. Their rank structure goes all the way up to a general officer level.
No, it would not make sense to make them warrants, either. Warrants are not an in between rank. Their rank structure goes all the way up to a general officer level.
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The Air Force requires all officers to have at least a bachelors degree. It looks like the Army and Navy are the same. Consequently, commissioned officer nurses need a BSN.
I disagree with SFC (Join to see) about Warrant Officer Nurses. Warrant Officers are the technical experts in their specialty. Nurses could be separated in a manner similar to Aviation Warrants and Commissioned Army Aviators. (Yes, I understand that CWOs hold a commission, but I need a way to talk about the two groups.) Nurses with an Associate of Nursing and a State License as an RN could serve as Warrant Officers. They would not hold nurse manager positions, be Officers in Charge (OIC), or command. Warrant Officer Nurses would be experts at patient assessment, care, and other nursing activities throughout their career. The Commissioned Officer Nurses would compete for management, leadership, and command positions. Advanced Practice Nurses, holding an MSN and licensed as a "provider", would be commissioned also.
The current trend in nursing is to require a BSN. Hospitals in our local area require a BSN for most jobs. The ADN nurses are under pressure to complete their BSN to keep their jobs. This trend would make military service attractive to ADN RNs.
My daughter is a Navy Reserve Nurse Lieutenant Commander (O-4). She's done her tour as a Detachment OIC and is now in a staff position. She's also a Nurse Practitioner who works as a provider during her two weeks of active duty each year.
I disagree with SFC (Join to see) about Warrant Officer Nurses. Warrant Officers are the technical experts in their specialty. Nurses could be separated in a manner similar to Aviation Warrants and Commissioned Army Aviators. (Yes, I understand that CWOs hold a commission, but I need a way to talk about the two groups.) Nurses with an Associate of Nursing and a State License as an RN could serve as Warrant Officers. They would not hold nurse manager positions, be Officers in Charge (OIC), or command. Warrant Officer Nurses would be experts at patient assessment, care, and other nursing activities throughout their career. The Commissioned Officer Nurses would compete for management, leadership, and command positions. Advanced Practice Nurses, holding an MSN and licensed as a "provider", would be commissioned also.
The current trend in nursing is to require a BSN. Hospitals in our local area require a BSN for most jobs. The ADN nurses are under pressure to complete their BSN to keep their jobs. This trend would make military service attractive to ADN RNs.
My daughter is a Navy Reserve Nurse Lieutenant Commander (O-4). She's done her tour as a Detachment OIC and is now in a staff position. She's also a Nurse Practitioner who works as a provider during her two weeks of active duty each year.
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MAJ (Join to see) Are they more senior? Because the current requirements for AD and RC is a minimum of a Bachelor's in Nursing for 11 of the nursing fields on GoArmy.com. At least three required a Masters in that Nursing Field.
Many years ago you could earn an associates and become a RN, but that has disappeared. My mother in law went back for a bachelor's so she could keep working as an RN although she'd been a L&D nurse for thirty years.
https://www.goarmy.com/amedd/nurse/jobs-careers.html
Many years ago you could earn an associates and become a RN, but that has disappeared. My mother in law went back for a bachelor's so she could keep working as an RN although she'd been a L&D nurse for thirty years.
https://www.goarmy.com/amedd/nurse/jobs-careers.html
Explore a nursing career in the Army and enhance your experience with nursing education programs. Learn more about different types of nursing jobs today.
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CPT (Join to see)
Sir, there are still plenty of ADN programs out there at community colleges producing RNs. They are simply less marketable in the civilian job sector. Many of the big health systems won't hire an RN unless they are at least BSN-prepared. Lots of other venues still hire ADN RNs - small to medium sized hospitals, nursing homes, infusion centers, dialysis etc. etc.
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LTC Jason Mackay
CPT (Join to see) - there are none where I live. Any employer is requiring the BSN. The local CC is actually awarding BSNs at their program, the only bachelors they offer as the workforce dynamics have changed.
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SGT Matthew S.
I'll second CPT (Join to see). My wife is - and has been for several years - an RN with only an Associate's. She is working on her BSN, though, for the marketability and future management potential aspects.
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CPT (Join to see)
LTC Jason Mackay - What I have seen is the local CCs are working with big universities in their area to do a bridge program because they don't provide the 300-400 level gen eds necessary for a BSN per the accrediting bodies. In my area, a student can essentially be enrolled at two universities, taking their nursing class at the ADN while taking BSN gen eds at the other. Or, they can finish the ADN and then jump right into an online bridge program. That's great that your local CC is doing it all in-house.
Believe it or not, there are actually still a few "diploma" nursing programs around, which is the 3rd tract to become an RN. They are programs that are based at a hospital, and the curriculum is very hands-on. The problem with these programs is that they don't transfer well if an RN wants to continue their education.
Believe it or not, there are actually still a few "diploma" nursing programs around, which is the 3rd tract to become an RN. They are programs that are based at a hospital, and the curriculum is very hands-on. The problem with these programs is that they don't transfer well if an RN wants to continue their education.
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