18D to BSN!
 

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro has started a program called the Veterans Access Program, which allows medically trained veterans access to a traditional or accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree(BSN).This means any medically trained veteran, or a veteran that wasn't a medic, but since being out has gone that path i.e CNA, EMT, paramedic, already a nurse but want a BSN.
The program has the potential, as in my case, to get an 18D a BSN in only 3 semesters. The program has been set up to maximize credit from a veteran or active servicemember's Joint Service Transcript, in order to get the most applicable credit. I personally was granted a great deal of credits, in addition to credit for my clinical experiences while in SOCM/SFMS. Veterans get priority admission, and are given specialized advising, as well as priority clinical placement. Lastly the grant that pays for the program is co-sponsored by Cone Health, and the head of Talent Acquisition is one of the professors for a special MIL-CIV transition course. The program is well thought out, well funded, and is currently running.

Check it out! http://nursing.uncg.edu/undergraduate/vap.php

18D are more equivalent to PA on steroids. Why don't the authorities that train PA's in the Army system confir PA status to Army trained 18D's?

The "an 18D is basically a PA" train of thought is kinda BS. There are things I can do that a PA does, but there are a lot of things a PA can do that I cannot. I doubt many 18D's that are going the RN route are going to stay RN's for long. I personally plan on putting a CRNA packet as soon as possible.

Also, in order to go to something like PA school you need a Bachelors. Why not get it in something that basically guarantees a job?

BSN
 

18Ds and PAs... Apples and oranges... They are not comparable in their scope of practice or knowledge base, I can say that as a SF SGM:lifter and no, I was not a medic.

The BSN program is a great idea! I did something similar; accelerated BSN straight into a FNP program at Vanderbilt University (don't ask me how in the hell I was excepted there!) I'm currently one of 109 Family and Orthopedic certified nurse practitioners in existence. Currently working in upper extremity orthopedic trauma (hand), would not have done anything different. I make a very good living and I'm surrounded by beautiful women who think I'm a freakin' rockstar.

If any QPs have questions, please contact me.

I thought that until I went to PA school....boy was I in for a BIG SURPRISE:eek:

I agree with a lot of the experienced poster's statements.

PAs and 18Ds are NOT equivalent, as Joe (Eagle5US) confirms, but 18D is a great background from which to become a PA.

A nursing degree is a very versatile tool from which you can do many things that would be harder or impossible with a PA degree - administration, public health, many type of businesses etc. A PA degree is probably the best ticket to get directly into hands-on patient care, although as a nurse you have the option of going to Nurse Practitioner school - and in some places you will have MORE independence as a NP than you would as a PA (for historical & legal reasons). Ditto with CRNA (although their does exist an "Anesthesia Assistant" that may be kind of a PA equivalent, but I have never worked with one nor do I know their scope of practice)

In my experience they both provide equivalent (and outstanding) levels of care in the the field I trained in (trauma & critical care) and they are invaluable members of the team. I literally could not have done my job without them.

As an MD, I am a big booster for people going into either the nursing OR PA fields, but understand the differences between the two - and one of the most miserable bastards I ever met was a former 18D who went into nursing on AD, and got stuck doing basic floor nursing which he HATED... so make sure you ask plenty of questions and think hard before you jump!

RL

edited reply.

edited reply.

As a bit of an update, I am on track to be the first graduate of this program in December. I have already gotten a job post graduation in the CVSICU at University of Maryland hospital. We currently have 3 18 series guys in varying parts of the program, 2 18D's(myself and an 80's era guy) and an 18B.

If there are any 18 series guys looking for an almost guaranteed job, this is a great program. They are well tuned to the unique experience of 18D's and provide custom tailored clinical experiences.

NurseTim, 18D's are definitely not PA's on steroids. I have done several rounds of proficiency training in CONUS and on several deployments where I was fortunate to have a PA from Group, big army, or elsewhere to work under, either in clinical or combat settings. PA's are higher-level providers than 18D's. Besides the difference in schooling, which is that PA's go through a two-year intensive medical school compared to the 1-year SF medic course, here's the difference: PA's are responsible for one thing, and that's being a PA. An 18D is a medic, but he's also a team guy, which entails being responsible for a huge amount of other things, such as shoot/move/communicate, foreign language, maintaining proficiency on advanced skills, etc, etc, etc. We have PA's at the BN level who conduct training for us, coordinate proficiency training, are the subject matter experts for clinical medicine, and thereby act along with the BN Doc as a resource for 18D's to rely on.

Sorry, tainted by hero worship and working with a PA that was a QP as well. I figured all were like him. Still ignorant as an official antique. Thanks for the correction.