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Although military operations can be extremely hazardous for those folks that are on the front lines, it is actually relatively safe for those supporting elements that are not directly involved in combat operations, such as a hospital. The Army takes great measures to ensure the safety of the medical facilities and personnel assigned to each unit.

Army nurses are an integral part of a medical team that is dedicated to protecting the lives of those who safeguard America. As an Army nurse, there are possibilities to deploy to areas around the world in support of military operations. These opportunities are sporadic and vary in nature, from providing hurricane relief support in the Caribbean to supporting combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even though the media focuses on the large number of military members deployed around the world, there are actually very few Army nurses that are currently deployed, and, in a typical year, less than three hundred or so are deployed around the world at any given time.

An overwhelming majority of your time spent as an Army nurse will be spent as a clinical nurse working in a large, state-of-the-art medical facility. During those times that you may be called upon to serve away from your hospital, it will be because it is absolutely essential to have the best medical care in the world available to those in need. Some examples of those needing our expertise are: children who live in a third world country, victims of a natural disaster, and the brave soldiers that risk their lives to defend and support our freedom.

The physical training (PT) schedule is dependent on your ROTC department. PT is usually three times per week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), and the schedule will be arranged around your clinical class schedule. Once on active duty, Army nurses work in a hospital and have rotating days/night shifts that last eight to twelve hours. Due to twenty-four-hour operations, Army hospitals do not conduct organized PT on a regular basis. Organized PT sessions do occur in May and October each year so all staff can participate in the required Army Physical Fitness Test (AFPT). Therefore, your physical training and preparations for the APFT are done on an individual basis that best fits your work and sleep schedule.