Nursing Student interest in AFR Flight Nurse

Your first problem is that your going to need a BSN.

The AFR is now requiring a BSN. There was a nurse in my reserve squadron who was and AD graduate, and an experienced critical care nurse. She came into the military as enlisted, and is working on her BSN.


Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington

She only had an AD in Nursing.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington

PARANURSE125:

You may want to jump over to the Govt/Military Nursing area and repost your question - there may be more input from all of the AD & Reserve RNs who can shed some more light onto your dilemma. Otherwise, from all of the posts I have read over there, your best resource would be a HEALTHCARE Recruiter, who should have the answers to those types of questions. Good Luck.

I am going to join as soon as I get my BSN and have spoken to a reserve flight nurse. At this point the AF is only accepting BSN even for reserves, although in the past they have accepted ASN's, but that is when they are really really low on flight nurses. Also, according to her, your time spent as a reservists is different than traditional reservists because you have to fly every 90 days. You have to go through basically the same requirements as pilots when it comes to flying (flight physical and a 6 week flight class), a 6 week nursing flight class, water survival/POW camp survival, tech school, etc which would be about 6 months straight, after comissioning and going through OTS (which is also 6 weeks). The flight school is currently in a classroom, although they are trying to implement a program where you fly and when that school is over then you come back to home base. She also said it is hard to work as a FT nurse and be a flight nurse in the reserves because of the flight hours and regular time you have to put in. OTC is in Maxwell AFB, AL, the rest of the training in San Antonio (Lackland AFB). She says that in twenty something odd years shes been activated twice, but all other trips shes signed up for.
I would suggest finding an aeromedical squadron nearest you and speak with someone from there. You can ask a recruiter for that info, or if you already have access to go on base then just go and talk to anyone. I called the squadron where I live and they were more than willing to speak to me and give me info.
hope this helps a little