Serving in the Service: Healthcare Careers in the Military

Healthcare occupations abound in the military. With over a million enlisted personnel, it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that 67,989 of all military jobs are in the medical sector, as large as that number is.

At Joyce University, we see this first hand. We’ve had students who came out of the military, and we have many who go into into it after graduating from our  nursing programs. Every branch of the military needs nurses and healthcare professionals which is good news for healthcare students who want to enlist and serve their country once they earn their diploma. If you’re among them, these are some of the top career options for medical military personnel.

1. Military Nurse

There’s a need for nurses in every sector of healthcare, so of course you can find them in every branch of the military. U.S. military nurses work all over the world, setting up triage in war zones and treating family members on domestic military bases. They’re in Army hospitals and specializing in everything their civilian counterparts do, from psychiatric/behavioral health to nurse midwifery.

Oh, and here’s a huge bonus for any current nursing student: Many military nurses have their nursing school loans forgiven. According to the Army, “the Active Duty Health Professions Loan Repayment Program may help you repay up to $120,000 of those loans.” This is a captivating draw for many recent nursing school graduates, especially if they have a passion for the enlisted service. Once you earn your RN or BSN degree, you can speak to a military recruiter about becoming an Army Nurse.

2. Nurse Corps Officer

If you’re like many of our online BSN students, you may feel drawn to the managerial side of healthcare after working a few years as a Nurse or Medical Assistant. Leadership roles can be found throughout the military’s healthcare field, and one of the entry level positions is the Nurse Corps Officer. These officers lead a nursing team to provide care for soldiers and their families, both deployed at a field hospital and in home care facilities. Like any nurse manager, Nurse Corps Officers supervise all nursing care during their shifts, and at all levels of command. Like many military officer positions, there are opportunities for further advancement—and for continuing education. These officers must already have their BSN degree, but once they enter the role they can often pursue higher levels of nursing education and become nurse practitioners.

Our Nursing programs in Utah are designed to prepare students for the wide array of job opportunities in healthcare. If you’re interested in becoming a nurse, or would like to advance your career as a nurse, learn more about our College of Nursing.