[JessPedsRN]

Hello! I am a pediatric RN with 2 years experience, looking into Air Force nursing. I was hoping to hook up with a pen pal of some sorts, a nurse in the Air Force (preferably pediatrics) to pick their brain. Thank you!

[Nole_Nurse33]

I'm currently an ICU nurse in the AF and am willing to answer any ?s you might have. To my knowledge there's maybe 1 or 2 stateside AF hospitals that have a dedicated Pediatric unit, and I know of one that has a Pediatric ICU.

[jeromemdayao]

How much is the pay if you go into airforce nursing? how old is the usual age? And what if I'm not a US citizen

[Shimano0606]

To my knowledge Wilford Hall is the best bet for PEDS. I'll be stationed there in the PICU sometime in the next couple of months. I know that have an inpatient peds floor, but I don't know many specifics yet.

When I was in the process of applying I talked with several nurses who suggested that it's possible to spend the majority of the clinical portion of your career (AF) doing bedside PEDS. I was in the AF before becoming a nurse and based on that experience assumed that nurses, like most other AF professions, had to diversify their skills as their careers progressed. On that note, I expected to do PEDS for a couple of years and then have to switch to adults. Apparently, that's not necessarily true if you're planning on pursuing a Peds NP or CNS down the road.

Try this website for some general info: http://www.sammcs.amedd.army.mil/cli...pediatrics.asp

[redhead61]

I am 46 years old and have been a med/surg nurse for alot of years. I am looking for a change. I was wondering about AF nursing. Can anyone tell me about what its like, as far as the pay, housing, facilities and how often deployment happens. I have a teenager to take along with me. Please help me out with pros and cons. I really appreciate any advice anyone can give.

[wtbcrna]

Originally Posted by jeromemdayao

How much is the pay if you go into airforce nursing? how old is the usual age? And what if I'm not a US citizen

You need to be a US citizen to be an AD USAF officer.

[wtbcrna]

Originally Posted by redhead61

I am 46 years old and have been a med/surg nurse for alot of years. I am looking for a change. I was wondering about AF nursing. Can anyone tell me about what its like, as far as the pay, housing, facilities and how often deployment happens. I have a teenager to take along with me. Please help me out with pros and cons. I really appreciate any advice anyone can give.

Redhead,

I would just do search of the threads there are a lot threads that answer your questions. The main thing for you is that you won't be able to retire d/t your age from the military (unless things change). In general you have to 20yrs time in service by the time you reach 62-63y/o.

[ugaRN]

Hello all. This is actually my first post ever on allnurses but I am trying to sort through all these threads, as well as online, and get the answers to my questions as well. I, too, am I pediatric RN working at Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta. I have almost 1 year experience (have my RN-BSN as well as a prev degree in Health Promotion and Behavior from UGA)
I have been looking into the AF for the past few months and have already sat down with a recruiter - although to be honest still did not get all my Q's answered.
I would like to stay in Peds at this time although I really would like to continue onto PA (or maybe NP) or CRNA. If I need to switch to adults in order to get where i want in my career though I am not completly against it but I do feel like I am in peds for a reason. I know someone was saying there was only 1 PICU location which I would need to get in order to get critical care experience for the CRNA, right? (I currently work on a primarily neuro/neurosurgery floor right now so not "labeled critical care")
Also, how hard is it to get into the education assistance program they have for NP/CRNA? Or more importantly, how long does it take before eligible - I know its at least a year serving in AF but I am looking for more realistic info
I am very serious about the options in front of me and would appreciate ANY info anyone has to offer .... advice, experience, general info, or military life. Its an exciting thing to think about but very scary as well. Nobody in family has served our country (well no immediate family anyways) so I am very "ignorant" when it comes down to it. Its scary as well even having done a lot of research already - thats why I am here trying to get real answers instead of "recruiter answers" Ha.

Also, I have very recently been maybe thinking about the Navy instead so feel free to give me info on that as well or opinions on which may be better for me.
Thanks to all in advance for reading this and possibly helping me out.

[JessPedsRN]

My biggest thing with my recruiter has been making sure I'll be able to be a bedside pediatric RN on a hospital unit, which he keeps reassuring me I will. I was at the SPN conference at the beginning in the month in Denver and spoke with several pediatric AF nurses, all of which basically told me that if I want to stay in general peds (not PICU) that I'd likely end up in a clinic if I wanted to stick with peds. Unfortunately I'd have to have my arm twisted pretty bad to consider adults, so I think AF is out of the question for me.

[wtbcrna]

Originally Posted by JessPedsRN

My biggest thing with my recruiter has been making sure I'll be able to be a bedside pediatric RN on a hospital unit, which he keeps reassuring me I will. I was at the SPN conference at the beginning in the month in Denver and spoke with several pediatric AF nurses, all of which basically told me that if I want to stay in general peds (not PICU) that I'd likely end up in a clinic if I wanted to stick with peds. Unfortunately I'd have to have my arm twisted pretty bad to consider adults, so I think AF is out of the question for me.

If an AF recruiter promises you that you will stay in peds in the AF....He/she is a liar to put it mildly. Even after everything is said and done the chief nurse at your gaining base has the deciding factor where you will work not the recruiter.