UKC

Hi all,
Hope you are all good.
Career change time so I'm a qualified Nurse from years back and fancy joining the Forces, Navy specifically as family tradition.

I'd also like to join as an Officer but haven't really looked into it all properly as I'm currently travelling for a couple of months.

Any info on all 3 services (as a Nurse) as well as personal experience would be great if anyone on here has done something similar.

Fauve X

In reply to Fauve Ferrier:

Hi Fauve, I did some time in a green suit in the 80/90s and was based in Plymouth Devon, so I knew a couple of lovely Royal Navy Nurses, when they left the service they went to work in the Local NHS hospital, I seem to remember the Navy trained them in Nursing.

I just had a quick look at your profile and I think you may be outside the Armed Forces recruitment age limits though.

In reply to Fauve Ferrier:
You may be outside recruitment but check with the army reserves?

If you have any other questions drop me a pm I'm an orfiicer for my sins.

In reply to Fauve Ferrier:

I recently did time on the recruitment team. Sorry to let you know but your over the joining age for regulars. Which is ashame as you would have got a couple grand golden hello for already being a qualified nurse.
An as far as the military is concerned it's not a job for life or even a good job anymore. Iv done 8 years an even the change in that short time has convinced me to get out now while I am still young so I can start a new career.
The army has been good to me but I always said when I start having more bad days than good ones. It's time to go.
I wish I could say I was the only one. But people are leaving at quite a high rate, and if they don't do something soon they are going to have issues. Hope this helps.

In reply to Fauve Ferrier:

if you join any of the forces you will be sailor soldier or airman 1st and foremost and a nurse 2nd one isn't always compatible professionally with the other and its the nurse that compromises

In reply to Fauve Ferrier:

You should still be in the age range for PQO in the reserves.

In reply to Cerris90:
There are a number of reasons behind this but as a rule of thumb and a rather irritating one at that people in recruitment generally are bad people to talk to about long careers in the army (it may be the same in the other forces but I've no experience of managing careers in the navy or air force)

Apologies to you cerris I don't mean to sound cruel.

Secondly the 'you're a soldier first' guff above is really a very old fashioned way to look at it. For professionals joining go continue their specialism very little will change except your travel opportunities, pay, and the patients you look after.

As above - check the reserves.

In reply to neuromancer:

There is a difference between working in the careers office and the recruitment team. You do it for 3 months. An as a I have done the good the bad and the ugly I know what it's like. An as for nurses they will be a soldier first but such a specialist trade then you will be doing nursing. Except for when you have to do your yearly matts.

In reply to Cerris90:

Just from my perspective of the recruitment team - maybe it was different for you guys.

In reply to Fauve Ferrier:
Hi Fauve,
you may be outside the age limit but, if you are a specialist you can still join the regulars if they are short in that specialty area. (I'm talking specifically about the Navy as that is what you mentioned)

There are few good points here but a lot of it is service dependant. There is a massive difference between a recruiting office and a recruitment team. Expression of interest via the careers office followed up by the recruitment team followed by an acquaint visit, interviews etc. Compatibility tests, employment checks, medical etc etc and as above, if they need you in a certain specialist area just because you're over the age limit according to the website, doesn't mean you won't get in.

As far as other aspects go, you will have a war role which will you will need to maintain currency in and dependant on which unit you are based at, this may come before your primary trade.

As far as being an Officer goes, again Navy specific, you already have the qualifications to apply for AIB (Admiralty Interview Board) so if you are needed in a specific specialty area and you express an interest to commission at initial interview and again impress on the acquaint and to the recruitment team, you'll have a good chance to go to AIB but if you fail, (again assuming they need your specialty) you can still join as an other rank.

If all the above fails and you are not required for the regulars, they the same process applies for the RNR (Royal Navy Reserves).

Hope this helps, Den

In reply to Fauve Ferrier:
I applied for a job a couple of years ago as an officer in the Nursing unit (Environmental Health) for the Royal Navy. In the end I decided not to pursue the role as I thought about it and decided that as I'm in my 30's that style of life didn't really appeal. The role was basically 2 year rotation across UK naval bases and ships.

I agree with others who say that you are sailor/soldier first and anything else second. They sent me the little book of cautionary statements and that was a heck of a read. Anyway after I read a few statements that made me think eh? I spoke to the recruitment team who were dealing with my application. I asked the question how long after officer training is it before you post officers to the advertised role. I never got an exact answer other than we would want you in it as quickly as possible but service needs will dictate.

It sounded like a good job.

In reply to neuromancer:






Pretty negative and incorrect answer for someone who is an Officer in the Forces. Career officers do a great job as do recruitment teams. Gone are the days, mostly, when they fill you full of crap and promise you the earth.

You're always a soldier first, thats why they have MATTS and other training outside your specific cadre. As far as Naval Nurses go, travel doesn't really come into it, unless you are drafted onto a ship which because of manning levels and shortages in specialty areas, is pretty rare. You do get paid more and the patients are practically all NHS so not a lot of change there.

In reply to Denni:
Did you miss the context of the reply from a 'recruitment officer' who instructed the op that 'its not a good job or a job for life'?

You seem to be quite self-importantly looking for some party line to be toed here and if you think that is more important than giving the op an honest and positive impression of service then we simply disagree.

Matts will really take a very small proportion of a prospective nurse's career. A nurse might travel to work on operations, with the groups on exercise, and on any adventurous training or trips they might get involved in.

Anyway since this has become less about helping the op and more about fighting over everyone's personal experiences I'll leave this be.

Again op if you want any advice drop me a PM.

In reply to neuromancer:

Shots fired !!

In reply to neuromancer:

Didn't miss the context at all, seems you've missed the point completely though.

A nurse might travel to work on operations, might? If you think they "might" "travel" ( sounds like they are going on a bus!) on operations you're clearly forgetting or don't know that the majority of personnel on ops in Afghan were medical staff so no might about it.

No one is fighting over anyone personal experiences here at all. Fauve wanted to know about being a Nurse in the Navy and possibly a commission so now has the up to date factual information on how to go about it.

In reply to Denni:

Was going to edit this post, but can't seem to, as I have another non related point. "With the groups" what the hell is a "group"? Do you mean Unit, Regiment etc? They're not a band of pop stars going on exercise.

I can just imagine it;

Capt. Smith to CO "It will be fun today Sir, we are taking a group of people to Brecon for a weeks camping"

In reply to Fauve Ferrier:

At the risk of getting involved in this exchange between Army types can I just mention that we're talking about QARNNS. RN medics specialise in hangovers and venereal disease, QARNNS are qualified nurses. Each have a role and they both do it very well. RN medics go to sea and QARNNS don't really spend that much time at sea if at all. No doubt someone will come back say their sister who is a QARNN spent six months on the Argus in Sierra Leonne but that, while possible, is rare.

For any RN medics reading this, if you can't take a joke ...

In reply to drmarten:
Not really an exchange between Army types, just trying to point Fauve in the right direction and becoming slightly sidetracked ....

My wife is a QARNN, a Nursing Officer who works in the Victory Building at Portsmouth dockyard.
She leads a team of 3 and their job is to recruit all the medical staff for all the medical roles, other ranks or Officers, in the RN and the RNR.

She personally interviews every single person for the RN/RNR medical services, along with various medical subject matter experts so if Fauve is a specialist in a certain area, there is a good chance she could get in even if she is over entry age.

You will get the odd QARNN on a ship, especially of late, Ocean, Lusty as and when was and of course the Argus but my wife would concur about ship deployment unless you count the Gosport ferry as sea time.............


Edit, Alan M, my wife wouldn't have interviewed you as she has only been there a year but give her a bell, they need EHO's!

In reply to Denni:

You know far more about this than I do then Denni. I just thought it odd the actual name of the service hadn't been mentioned, kudos to your wife for what she does. The QARNNS often go about their business without the recognition they deserve.

In reply to drmarten:

Doesn't the qualification of "sister" automatically infer a commissioned rank in all the forces?

In reply to drmarten:

Cheers mate, I'll pass that onto her. Out of her comfort zone to start off with but now flourishing in the job. And you're right, she and her team just crack on and get on with it without a lot of recognition considering the enormity of the job but that's the same as most people in the Forces I hope.

Due to their success in recruiting this year, the Army and the RAF are now bringing their recruitment process into line with the Navy and they've had a few high ranking mentions on how successful they have been and they are practically fully manned for the first time in a while so she's doing a grand job. (obviously I'm biased as I'm her biggest fan )

I didn't mention the QARNNS as I assumed we all knew what we were talking about, should never assume as they say