Military Nurse Career Guide

Get ready for action—this role isn’t your typical registered nurse job. Imagine all the things nurses have to do on a regular basis, such as employing critical thinking skills in high-pressure situations, managing emergencies with swift and decisive action, and maintaining a sense of calm for medical teams and patients alike. Now imagine doing all of that in a military setting, especially in instances of combat assignments. No doubt about it: being a military nurse is an intense role, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.

Depending on which branch of the military you choose to work with, assignments can vary—but there’s definitely never a dull moment. You may be expected to travel both nationally or internationally, depending on what your branch of the military needs. Military nurses can also be called in to offer support during natural disasters. No matter where your post may be, you’ll be navigating highly sensitive situations that require the utmost care and professionalism—and you’ll need to be ready for anything at a moment’s notice. Some of the experiences you may encounter include:

This is where critical care skills come into play. Being a military nurse in an active war zone is very much a grace-under-pressure situation, as you’ll be expected to provide immediate critical care to active-duty military members who have been injured in combat. You’ll be on the front line right alongside officers in combat. Injuries can range from gunfire wounds to loss of limbs, battle trauma to vehicular injuries, and other mission critical medical situations that can be highly stressful, especially under the added pressure of being in a war zone. It can be an intense and emotionally draining job, but many say that the sacrifice is worth it. This frontline work is possible for all kinds of military nursing specialties—army nurses, Navy nurses, and more can all be nursing on the frontlines, helping service members.

Working on an army base doesn’t have the same kind of stress as providing care in an active war zone, but in some instances, you’ll be supporting recovering personnel. For the most part, think of working at an army base as working in a community or small town, where you’ll be offering standard and preventative care to military families. Your day-to-day workload will include treating a variety of diseases, medical conditions, and other assorted injuries. These army nurses are no less valuable than other nursing specialties within the military.

If being a flight nurse in the Air Force is your military nurse role of choice, you may find yourself as a member of the AELT. Working alongside a medical services corps officer and radio technicians, you’ll be called upon to provide care to both military and civilians as needed in active war zones, providing care for those with active combat injuries while being transported to a different facility for more specialized care. This can include amputations and other life-threatening wounds—think of it as “an ICU in the sky.” You may also offer emergency medical assistance to locals and other partnering military outfits from other countries via hospital partnerships.

As a member of the Navy Nurse Corps, your role as a military nurse in the Navy means you’ll also be providing top-notch care to naval families, as well as providing care for those in need across the globe. It’s similar to providing care in the Army. Being a Naval nurse may mean being stationed on a ship, where you’ll provide care to active-duty members of the Navy. While employing all the standard registered nurse techniques, you’ll also be collaborating with physicians, surgeons, cardiologists, and more.

Military nurses can also have specialties, such as pediatrics or oncology, allowing for a more tailored version of care for our nation’s heroes. Specializing in a specific form of care as a military nurse can help increase salary and contribute to personal and professional growth.