Changing into a navy nurse takes selfless dedication and requires you to place your self in hurt's manner. After I was solely 23 years outdated, I used to be deployed to Iraq with solely three days' warning. Whereas working in a tent discipline hospital, I used to be instantly thrown into the truth of offering affected person care in a conflict zone. With out all the time having the mandatory provides or a sterile setting, we needed to suppose arduous and get inventive about how we may present the absolute best care to fight wounded, critically sick troopers and Iraqi nationals. The instances we weren't treating sufferers, we learn textbooks and talked all night time to study as a lot as we may and do the easiest for our sufferers. Via our camaraderie and dedication to the courageous women and men who served, we gave it our all, however we additionally realized greater than we ever thought doable.

Throughout my twenty-year profession within the U.S. Military, I went wherever my obligation referred to as: from a humanitarian mission in Rwanda to navy well being services throughout America. My time within the service has been difficult, however I wouldn't commerce it for the world. It was an unimaginable alternative that extra nursing college students ought to think about, particularly amid the extreme nursing scarcity that our navy departments and the Division of Protection (DOD) now face. However to draw new nurses to the workforce, the federal authorities should higher assist and encourage the nurses who’re actually on the entrance strains.

Though my deployments introduced with them harrowing experiences, I discovered my time in Iraq and Rwanda to be extraordinarily beneficial because it made me a greater nurse and a greater advocate for sufferers. It helped me construct my confidence and made me understand that nurses are the spine of the healthcare system – all the time current, on our toes and utilizing our educated minds to reply and save lives. Most of us can deal with something that comes our manner. It’s a difficult, rewarding and fulfilling profession, and infrequently thrilling and adventurous. I now educate and suggest that every one my college students discover navy nursing.

In response to a latest report, 88% of Division of Protection services are experiencing a nursing scarcity. This startling statistic exhibits how severe the scarcity actually is. A good labor market, uncompetitive pay and a difficult recruitment course of have been among the key components contributing to the scarcity.

If we have now any hope of fixing this disaster, we should take a look at the nursing pipeline. The Division of Protection should create higher incentives to draw new nurses to the sector and retain nurses at the moment serving within the navy. This implies bettering wages and advantages, offering higher bodily and psychological well being care services and assist, creating environment friendly processes to expedite the hiring course of, and guaranteeing that college students are academically ready for acquiring their nursing diploma. We additionally must assist college students earlier than they enter nursing applications to make the transition much less financially burdensome. The DOD ought to improve scholarship alternatives for college students, eradicating monetary obstacles to changing into a navy nurse.

As a navy nurse you aren’t solely a medical skilled, but in addition a soldier. These roles require sacrifice, resilience and braveness. I urge leaders and policymakers to think about options to the disaster, together with creating higher incentives that can strengthen the pipeline of scholars pursuing careers as navy nurses. The well being of our service members and their households relies on it.

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