These courses are taught in state-of-the-art facilities and enable Army nurses to keep up with the latest developments and technology. Given the dynamic nature of the nursing profession, keeping abreast of the latest developments is critical to providing continuous, quality patient care. Another educational opportunity afforded Army nurses is the opportunity to attend graduate level courses, fully paid for by the Army. According to an article in the January 30, 2004 issue of NurseWeek.com, Brigadier General William T. Bester, Commander, U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, said, the Army "place[s] a high priority on education." According to the general, the Army supports "more than 100 nurses a year to attend graduate school, fully funded while collecting their salary at the same time. We additionally fund five or six nurses a year for doctoral educations." As a result of the Army's commitment toward higher education more than half of Army nurses have obtained post-graduate degrees. According to research conducted by Captain David J. Paris, U.S. Army Nurse Corps ROTC Nurse Counselor, 60% of Army Nurses have a Master's Degree and 10% of Army Nurses have a Doctoral Degree.
Another benefit Army nurses enjoy is travel opportunities, and unlike their civilian nursing counterparts, the travel expenses are paid for. Not only will Army nurses be stationed and working in state-of-the-art facilities, they will also be able to explore different parts of the U.S and the world. An Army nurse stationed in the U.S. could find himself working at some of the country's leading hospitals and medical centers including; Walter Reed (Washington, D.C.), Brooke Army Medical Center (at Fort Sam Houston, Texas) and Tripler Army Medical Center (Honolulu, Hawaii). But it does not stop there; officer nurses can find themselves stationed at one of more than 25 major medical hospitals and clinics around the world.
