Nursing degree in the forces?

[LittleEsme]

Random question, but asking for a friend who's daughter is considering a nursing degree. She's a dedicated cadet and is contemplating a degree through them.

Her older brother is in Uni already (studying something totally different) so she already has an understanding of what Uni life is like.

She's curious as to what life will be like, doing a nursing degree through the armed forces.

Does anyone have experience? Thanks.

I’d consider another career not linked to healthcare. I’m healthcare but not nursing & I’m desperate to leave. A lot of us are in our 40’s.

There must be another degree they’d fund for her?.

You would be employed as a student military nurse and would do your 11 weeks basic army training before you started the nursing degree.

Degrees like nursing have less holiday time due to placements etc anyway, but when not at uni you would be doing what the Army wanted (obviously you would have A/L etc as well)

Advantages are all fees covered etc and you will be paid when doing the degree (15k or so per year).

There of course would be a certain time commitment to the army after you have qualified (not sure how many years), so need to be really sure this is nursing life you want.

Thanks everyone. She wants to eventually move into midwifery and understands that she'll have to self fund another year of training herself but she really likes the idea of serving in the airforce and then going to study for a nursing degree.

She's really dedicated and focused so I can really see her doing it. She'd prefer the boundaries and the commitment I think.

So for the RAF this is a good summary: www.raf.mod.uk/recruitment/roles/roles-finder/medical-and-medical-support/student-nurse-adult

Probably worth her going to the local careers office and asking for the contact details of the team who look after medical recruitment.

Looks like essentially of commitment of 3yr post a service funded nursing degree, obviously the upside of zero student loans and the fact your are earning a good salary.

Your life will be more regimented than a normal student nurse.

I did my nurse training alongside a nurse who was being sponsored via the army.

There was no difference to any other nurse training except the army paid the tuition fees and he was contracted to work for them for a certain number of years after qualifying.

Sorry that it's only now I'm coming back to this thread.

Thank you to everyone who responded. This is really helpful info 👍👍