Dear Donna,
I have been an RN going on two years. I’m interested in a job working on a military base as a civilian nurse. Do you have any advice on how I can go about this?
— Civilian Nurse
Dear Civilian Nurse,
Almost every military base uses civilian nurse employees. Simply identify those bases in your area and contact the human resources departments. It’s that easy. If you’re not sure where the bases are, just do an Internet search for “Military bases in [your state].” You often will find a link on the bases’ Web sites for civilian employment.
@Signoff :— Donna
Dear Donna,
I am an RN and carry malpractice insurance. My question is, how long after full retirement should I continue to carry it? I have been lucky to not have problems. My practice was as staff in post-anesthesia care the last 17 years.
— Am I Covered
Dear Am I Covered,
This depends on your individual policy. Some policies are “occurrence” based, whereas coverage will be available at the time of a lawsuit regardless of whether the policy is still in effect. If you do not have this type of policy, you likely can get a “tail” policy to cover you if something should come up after you are no longer working. A simple phone call to your agent/carrier should clear it up for you. You also should read your policy to see if this is spelled out.
— Donna
Dear Donna,
I’m interested in becoming an RN, but every school that I call is telling me I have to get all A’s and I’ll be put on a waiting list. They have also told me I should have a backup plan. Do you have any suggestions? I don’t want to waste my time and money on classes that won’t lead to a career.
— Tired of Waiting
Dear Tired of Waiting,
It seems that everyone wants to go to nursing school these days, and it has become rather competitive. What many others are doing while they complete their prerequisite courses is becoming a certified nurses aide or patient care technician. This is a great way to get started and provides valuable experience. It may even expedite your admission to a nursing program.
Another option is to become an LPN and then get yourself into an LPN-to-RN program. This route works out well for many.
Where there is a will, there is always a way. Persistence and determination will always win out in the end.
— Donna
I have been an RN going on two years. I’m interested in a job working on a military base as a civilian nurse. Do you have any advice on how I can go about this?
— Civilian Nurse
Dear Civilian Nurse,
Almost every military base uses civilian nurse employees. Simply identify those bases in your area and contact the human resources departments. It’s that easy. If you’re not sure where the bases are, just do an Internet search for “Military bases in [your state].” You often will find a link on the bases’ Web sites for civilian employment.
@Signoff :— Donna
Dear Donna,
I am an RN and carry malpractice insurance. My question is, how long after full retirement should I continue to carry it? I have been lucky to not have problems. My practice was as staff in post-anesthesia care the last 17 years.
— Am I Covered
Dear Am I Covered,
This depends on your individual policy. Some policies are “occurrence” based, whereas coverage will be available at the time of a lawsuit regardless of whether the policy is still in effect. If you do not have this type of policy, you likely can get a “tail” policy to cover you if something should come up after you are no longer working. A simple phone call to your agent/carrier should clear it up for you. You also should read your policy to see if this is spelled out.
— Donna
Dear Donna,
I’m interested in becoming an RN, but every school that I call is telling me I have to get all A’s and I’ll be put on a waiting list. They have also told me I should have a backup plan. Do you have any suggestions? I don’t want to waste my time and money on classes that won’t lead to a career.
— Tired of Waiting
Dear Tired of Waiting,
It seems that everyone wants to go to nursing school these days, and it has become rather competitive. What many others are doing while they complete their prerequisite courses is becoming a certified nurses aide or patient care technician. This is a great way to get started and provides valuable experience. It may even expedite your admission to a nursing program.
Another option is to become an LPN and then get yourself into an LPN-to-RN program. This route works out well for many.
Where there is a will, there is always a way. Persistence and determination will always win out in the end.
— Donna
