The COVID-19 pandemic, like many crises before it, demonstrated the importance of nursing in unsettling times. From the Civil War days of Clara Barton, whose compassion and skills earned her the nickname “Angel of the Battlefield,” to the ongoing rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, nurses have long been at the forefront of humanitarian efforts.
Whether you’re a nurse already or are seeking a profession that will make a significant positive impact, consider these 10 benefits of military nursing.
1. Loan Repayment Programs
The clouds parted, the angels sang, and your loans were pardoned.
Also Read: How the US military’s ‘Golden Hour’ obsession changed civilian medicine
While this seems too good to be true, especially in a world where loan forgiveness is so hard to come by, the Active Duty Health Professionals Loan Repayment Program and Health-care Professionals Loan Repayment Program offer up to $120,000 in loan repayment for active-duty service members and $50,000 for the Reserve Corps, respectively.
Through these programs, you can graduate with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and pay back the cost of your education within three years of working. The ADHPLRP even offers a $10,000 accession bonus.
2. Nurses Have Great Insurance Benefits
Military nurses qualify for excellent medical and dental care while serving. Family members can also receive military benefits. Life insurance is significantly discounted, and military nurses are permitted to collect up to $500,000 in the circumstance of a catastrophic event.
Active-duty personnel, retirees, and their families can also take advantage of Space-A travel, which offers free flights worldwide when space is available on military aircraft.
3. Salary and Financial Bonuses
Military nurses earn an average of $70,559 annually. The salary range is $58,000 to $103,000. There are also paid bonuses for military nursing specifically. Each branch has different bonuses, but the average amount is estimated at $22,000 annually. Accession bonuses, granted when a new nurse joins the military, are also offered and vary in amount.
4. Vacation
Military nurses are granted 30 paid vacation days per year. This is more generous than what civilian registered nurses typically are granted.
5. Surprisingly, Nurses Get to Travel
The travel, congruent with a career as a military nurse, is what makes the job so fun. Positions across the country and around the world are available across the military branches, and nurses receive free or discounted air travel. Active-duty service members, retirees, and their families can take advantage of Space-A travel. Put those 30 days off to good use.
6. Housing Benefits
Nurses living off-base are granted a monthly housing allowance, granted in consideration of family size and rank. Nurses who live in base housing or in the barracks enjoy life without a mortgage payment or rent, with direct access to base amenities and the military life that thrives within.
7. Job Availability Is Always a Thing for Nurses
Pre-COVID, there was already a huge shortage of nurses—the United States needed approximately 200,000 more in order to accommodate hospitals. Now, in the midst of the pandemic, the U.S. health-care system needs nurses more than ever.
With so many vaccines to give and patients to take care of, registered nurses are among the most in-demand professionals today. Subsequently, nurses are needed almost everywhere; job options are endless after service.
8. Vaccinations
Health-care workers were among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. They probably will be the first for future pandemic-related vaccines. If that interests you, nursing could be an excellent option.
9. Technology
Military nurses are permitted to use some of the most advanced medical technology and work at world-class hospitals. Notably, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) significantly reduces paperwork and enables more time in direct patient care rather than on logistical or administrative tasks.
10. Nursing Is One of the Most Rewarding and Respectable Jobs
Aside from these benefits, military nursing is one of the most rewarding career options. While providing service to our country, we also have the opportunity to help others and to save or improve their lives. Nurses are trusted and respected; 85% of Americans polled believed nurses maintained secure, high ethics.
In addition to helping others, serving our troops, and giving back to our country, nursing can provide a sense of well-being by knowing you are making a positive impact on the world. The question may not be: “Why should I become a military nurse?” You should be asking yourself why you haven’t already.
