It's a fact, by 2025 the nursing shortage in the US is expected to reach 260,0001.
Recent headlines by national news outlets bring this fact to our newsfeeds and inboxes daily.
Have a look at this tiny sampling:
It is also a fact that the armed services have more than 73,000 enlisted medical personnel2. That’s a lot of people potentially available to transition into civilian healthcare jobs!
This article will explore
According to Dan Goldenberg, Executive Director of the Call of Duty Endowment, Medics and Hospital Corpsmen receive more than $100,0003 of field training and then acquire years of experience.
By the time these men and women leave the service they already have the skills to become Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), Paramedics, or Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). They also have the training to enter school to become a Registered Nurse (RN). Some schools already consider military training as credit, lessening the time needed to complete the degree.
In addition to training, many of these veterans have earned their experience rendering lifesaving aid in high stress environments.
Why wouldn’t you recruit a former military medic or hospital corpsman?
Hiring former military medical personnel to civilian healthcare jobs is a win-win, it lowers veteran unemployment and eases the shortage of nursing staff.
Against all logic, data demonstrates that 50%6 of former medics and hospital corpsmen who want to continue their careers in civilian healthcare cannot find jobs.
It seems there are several barriers4 blocking military medical veterans looking to transition to civilian medical facilities. These barriers are translating into a huge loss of opportunity for healthcare systems facing crises. Here are some of the challenges:
These barriers are real but not the end of the story.
States like Idaho are ensuring that Universities and Colleges provide academic credit for military education and training. Florida is one of several states offering certification and licensure to medics based on their military training. Non-profit organizations are also working to bring national level solutions to this problem. For example,
In 2021 the Call of Duty Endowment launched the #CODEMedicalHeroes campaign to raise $3M dedicated to bringing the issue of certification barriers preventing medics and hospital corpsmen from turning their experience into a civilian job to the forefront of healthcare worker shortage conversations.
Executive Director Dan Goldenberg summed up the mission of the campaign this way,
“They shouldn’t have to take new coursework. They shouldn’t have to pay licensure fees. They should simply be able to pass a test that proves their knowledge and be able to have the credential. That’s at the most basic level of what we’d like to see”5.
Although not a healthcare facility ourselves, our veterans include an 8404 Hospital Corpsman, Medical Corpsman from Walson Army Hospital Fort Dix, NJ, and an Army Medic!
We are actively looking for Biomedical Technicians and Medical Equipment Sales Representatives.
Share this post with a veteran or Visit us for more details about open positions.
As the healthcare industry faces unprecedented staffing shortages, it just makes sense to recruit medical personnel veterans.
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