Ooooo, what’s the application process like? I bet that’s quite uncommon!
I’m going for a naval nurse.
It is! They have about six per year, I think. Bizarrely my colleague a couple of miles away who started her job when I started mine, is also applying!
To join as a chaplain you have to have three years’ experience of ministry in a recognised religious body (such as the Church of England or the Methodist Church), all of which also train their ministers. (more on that in a sec)
The main difference is an interview which, I think, takes the place of the SIFT interview, with the head of your religious body. In my case that’s the “Bishop to the Forces”, whose job is to explore with prospective chaplains whether it’s something they’re called to, rather than just something they fancy doing (“are you running to the navy or away from parish ministry?” is a common question!). That interview is actually tomorrow afternoon so wish me luck
Because our sending bodies have already trained us for ministry (three years in theology college and three years “apprenticeship”), Naval training is more about turning us into sailors, so we do 15 weeks at BRNC before a transition course at Beckett House, the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre.
How about for you? Do you train as a civilian nurse first, or undergo nursing training as your phase 2?
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