Single mom wants to join Navy Nurse Corps.

[Momof3]

I am a single mom of three boys 2, 4 and 10. I was on active duty as an enlisted member for six years as a medical lab technician. AFter getting out I completed a degree in Business Admin. and Accounting and have been doing that for a little while, I hate it! It is boring, unchallenging and does not fit my personality, however it can provide a GREAT living for me to raise my boys. My passion however is healthcare, I LOVE IT! I wanted to be a doctor but I'm a realistic person and med school with three active boys, no way! But the Navy has a Nursing program that helps you while you are in school and then you join as an officer but I have a few concerns!

1. One is could the fact I'm in the military effect the fact I have full custody of my children? My ex-husband spent 6 months in Balboa's locked down psych ward and although he is out and doing fine as long as he takes his numerous medications I am terrified and will not do anything to jeapordize me having custody of my children and he gets visitation only! Does anyone know how the courts look at a single mom in the military?

2. Being a CPA and a single mom would be great the hours are tough only 4 months out of the year, the rest of the year around here most CPA's work 9-3 MOnday-Thursday or Friday and make a killing! There is a lot of flexibility in the schedule and it would make it easy for me to be involved. I was a stay at home mom for some time and I am very involved in all the sports football, t-ball, soccer, drum lessons, guitar lessons, AWANA's etc..... I am afraid if I join the military my schedule would not permit that kind of involvement!

Any words of wisdom would be great, I love the Navy, I want to be a labor and delivery nurse and support the families of our soldiers! I love children and healthcare and that is a passion that accounting will never fullfill but I"m not sure if a commitment in the Navy will give me the opportunity to raise my kids the way I want to, just looking for input!

[LTC William E. Bailey]

Very nice site!

[Momof3]

I am actually looking at the Nurse Corps Program, I have two pre-requisites to complete before I can start as a junior in nursing school. I'm looking at starting in January of 2008! This program gives you two choices you can get a 25K signing bonus if you already have your degree OR if you are in your junior year you can get 2- 5K allotments and $1000/mo for your two years of school. Then you owe 4 years as an officer. These are the things I'm concerned about.....

1. Moving my family - I think they would do fine I was in for 6 years and a single mom for part of that. My oldest wants some adventure and is ready to move from our small town. We lived in San Diego and Seattle while he was little and he misses all the fun things we use to do! I will move during the middle or end of his Freshman year. I am told most new officers go to a hospital out of school to be trained in the ways of the military but being prior active duty I can go overseas, since he only has 3 years left of highschool in order to get him to experience more of the world I may consider that, I don't want it to effect his ability to get scholarships for sports/band or academics. He is VERY gifted and excels in all three but from what I understand DOD schools are some of the BEST! I also have 2 little boys who would be 5 and 7 upon completion of my schooling and would have to move in elementary school.

2. Custody of my children - I DO NOT want to do ANYTHING to jeapordize my full custody of the children. I know I have to do a parenting plan and have numerous family members willing to be put on there other than their incompetent father! However if he should get a wild hair and try to take me to court for custody (of the little ones, they are his) I don't want the courts to look at me being in the military as a bad thing and give him custody because he has stagnated and going nowhere but appears to be more "stable" than me due to moving? Any input on this would be helpful if anyone has experience on how the courts view military parents?

3. Hours - Currently I have been offered a job as an accountant with great opportunity for some serious growth in that career as well as my income, the only thing that makes me even consider continuing my accounting career is the flexibility of hours. The job offered has hours of 9-3 Mon-Thurs from April 15th-December 1st and then December 1st-April 15th you work like a dog but get paid overtime so it makes up for the short hours the rest of the year. I know as a nurse, fresh out of school in the Navy at a hospital I will be working graveyards, weekends, holidays. Is there anyone who has experienced a first duty station as a nurse or doctor and can give any insight into the hours and how to cope with that as a single parent. I will be an 0-2 with 6 years of service so I will be making good money, I'm thinking Nanny! Any thoughts????

4. Boot Camp - I liked enlisted boot camp it was a challenge and did not even really phase me and I came back in GREAT shape! I see the OIS as a definate challenge at my age and want to go, however I DO NOT want to go to the other side of the US without my kids, doable but definately not on my list of pros for this decision!

5. Flexibility- As a mom of three boys I have lots of sporting events and activities they are all in, I do not want to make them sacrifice those experience for me to be a nurse even though nursing is my passion and the only thing I think will truelly fullfill me personally in my career! But as an officer in the medical community (which is very different from the rest of the military in my experience) is there any flexibility or understanding? I've heard the "that baby didn't come in your seabag" enough times and that may be true but when I enlisted my uterus and ability to have babies did if they don't want single moms or moms for that matter in the military make hysterectomies or tube tying mandatory! I understand the "needs of the Navy come first" but I do have to consider the other responsibilities in my life as well! So I'm not looking for special treatment just curious if the nurses form bonds and support each other?

I know I've written a lot but I'm going crazy trying to decide what to do. I ahve a degree in Accounting, a good opportunity to really succeed there but I liked the Navy, I LOVED working in the hospital and with patients when I was in, I want to move out of this small town to the East Coast and would like to experience more in the military but now I have children's lives to also think about! I wanted to make an informed, reasonable decision where everyone wins, the Navy, the Nurse Corps, my children and myself! Any input that is constructive and positive is helpful!

[ice123t]

Very nice site!