Military Careers, Second Careers - Air Force Times

How to earn top pay in nursing

Lt. Cmdr. Pamela Herbig enjoys her job in the Navy Nurse Corps, but she continually prepares for a career outside of the military.

Herbig was a civilian nurse before she joined the Navy 11 years ago. Her job as a Navy nurse has taken her to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Guam and Kuwait, and to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Those experiences drove Herbig to advance her career in a specific area. Herbig is a psychiatric certified nurse specialist in the Inpatient Mental Health Department at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

“After seeing a lot of post-traumatic stress, I became passionate about it — and the stigma that is attached to it,” Herbig said.

With a master’s degree and clinical experience, Herbig said, she’ll have more career opportunities “if and when” she decides to leave the Navy. So if you’re a military nurse contemplating transition or a non-nurse considering the career, the following tips can help you make the most of your decision.

Hospital vs. doctor’s office

Bedside nurses in hospitals typically earn more than their doctor’s office counterparts, and there’s a reason.

“Hospital work is exciting, and it pays well, but it’s not conducive to family life,” said Linda Paroskie, a nurse who’s spent 36 years working in the private sector.

Paroskie discovered a doctor’s office was a good choice while her children were in school because she was able to work during school hours and had weekends and holidays off.

Make military service count

Eileen Hartigan’s military service paid off when she took a job as a nurse for the federal government.

Hartigan worked as a registered nurse in hospitals before she joined the Navy Nurse Corps. Shift work in an urgent care facility followed her six years in the Navy.

Things changed when she became immunization nurse manager at Naval Health Clinic Quantico, Va.

“I found out about a conversion billet through a Navy nurse colleague of mine,” Hartigan said. “My military time counted for government service.”

Disaster preparedness

If a military nurse has disaster preparedness training, then “that is something they should tout” in the private sector, said Cheryl Peterson, a senior policy fellow with the American Nurses Association.

“Disaster preparedness is the name of the game” in hospitals, she said.

Travel nursing

If you’re not tied down geographically, hitting the road with a travel nursing agency could mean top pay with perks such as bonuses and a housing stipend.

“Nearly all travel [nursing] agencies provide housing or a stipend and bonuses,” said Marcia Faller of AMN Healthcare, a San Diego-based medical staffing service.

Just be careful to contract with a reputable company.

“Many travel companies are very small organizations, so watch for signs of being too small to carry the payroll,” Faller said.

Top-paying jobs

Nursing professionals say additional education and training, such as becoming a surgical nurse or nurse practitioner, can boost a nurse’s career. Nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and nurse anesthetists have their pick of well-paying jobs, said Susan Lipp, director of enrollment and student services at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Nursing.

Among top-paying nursing jobs:

• Critical care nurse

• Surgical nurse

• Nurse practitioner

• Nurse anesthetist

• Nursing educators