Corpsman/Medic to Nurse Programs

RegisteredNursing.org Staff Writers | Updated/Verified: Feb 3, 2024

With the nursing shortage expected to reach over 260,000 by the year 2025, tapping into the resources of the military's medical corps seems a wise decision. The nursing program at Florida International University is partnering with the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration to circumvent barriers to recruit, retain, and graduate transitioning veteran medics and corpsman to BSN nurses. The Veteran's Bachelor of Science in Nursing (VSBN) program offers scholarships and allows the veteran to complete a BSN within a year.

FEATURED NURSING DEGREES FOR MILITARY NURSES:

Many schools, such as Texas A&M, offer military veterans with medical experience college credit to be used towards a degree in nursing. Another option is the Military Medic or Corpsman to ADN Transition Program at Montgomery College. A 13-week intensive course that allows the medic or corpsman to finish the ADN after two additional semesters. Prerequisites of biology, math, English and psychology are also required.

RELATED: Nurse vs. Corpsman vs. Medic

Veteran corpsman and medics bring a sense of team and professionalism to the field of nursing. By capitalizing on prior education, experience and skills of military clinical personnel, projected nursing shortages can be diminished significantly. And when adding the benefit of providing skills and employment for veterans, the combination is a win-win.

How Long Do I Have to Be a Corpsman to Enter a Nursing Program?

To be considered for an accelerated Military Corpsman-to-RN program is less about time spent as a Corpsman and more about the courses and skills completed. For example, in addition to a letter of recommendation from a current supervisor, prospective nursing students applying to Montgomery College, who served as corpsman must also:

"…submit documentation of past or present status of a "Navy Corpsman" (HM3 course completed, NER-HM-003), "Army 91WM6", or "USAF4NO" skill identifier for this advanced placement option into the Nursing Program. Additionally, Military Medics must submit SMART transcripts which document required experiences such as administration of medication, documentation of patient care, experiences with use of medical and surgical asepsis and maintaining safety in patient care."

Corpsman must also consider the completion time on their contract with the military when applying for nursing programs.

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