Air Force Nursing Corps

jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA · Jan 7, 2017

There is a program where you serve in the inactive ready reserves (IRR) and receive a monthly stipend (as well as tuition and expenses). You switch to active duty once you graduate. It might be too late to apply for this for you.

Everyone gets $4500 per year in tuition assistance, and a lot of people use that to become an NP. I think it would be hard to do the clinical rotations while working full time as a nurse in the AF, but people have done it. When you graduate this way, you don't immediately become an NP in the AF. There has to be extra FNP slots and the job you're leaving must be well-staffed. I know an OR nurse who graduated an NP program years ago and still works as an OR nurse.

Finally, you could serve as an active duty AF nurse for 2 years and apply for AFIT (the AF's graduate education program). If accepted, they pay all school expenses give you your full salary while in school. You are guaranteed an NP slot when you graduate.

allnurses Guide · Jan 7, 2017

1. HPSP is the program that let you attend graduate school full time in the IRR. You would owe a minimum of 3 years. It would not really be worth it for someone that only has 1.5 years left since the process to get in often takes 6-12 months. HPSP is best for people that are at the beginning of applying to school/just got accepted.

2. It is hard to get released out of low manned nursing specialities, but as a side note OR is starting to accept new nursing graduates so the overall manning should improve over the next couple of years. ICU manning still remains critically low though.

3. HPSP and AFIT will both guarantee you slots in your respective program as long as you graduate and pass the respective boards.

JmhATL · Jan 29, 2017

Josh,

Are you still working in this capacity and if so, can you direct me to someone who can provide instght regarding the AF Reserves for a nurse? I'm in my last semester of nursing school (BSN) and trying to make informed decisions whether the AF or Navy is a good decision for me because this is my 2nd BS degree and I have enormous student loans. I'm an AF brat in New Orleans but planning to relocate to Marietta (north of Atlanta) the day after graduation.

OUxPhys, BSN, RN · Feb 2, 2017

Is it true the AF reserves has two types of flight nursing? I thought I read somewhere they have the evac team (ICU/ED experience) and then transport (Med Surg/Stepdown experience).

allnurses Guide · Feb 2, 2017

Is it true the AF reserves has two types of flight nursing? I thought I read somewhere they have the evac team (ICU/ED experience) and then transport (Med Surg/Stepdown experience).

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Becoming an Air Force Reserve Flight Nurse - Today's Military

They are two different things. One is usually a part-time job (CCATT) for ICU nurses where as flight nursing is a full-time job of basically med-surg in the sky as far as acuity goes. I am not sure how the reserves handle it though.

jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA · Feb 3, 2017

There's actually at least 3 types. ER RNs and CRNAs do TACIT which involves critical care patients in short distance rotary wing aircraft. ICU RNs and intensivists do CCATT, which transports ICU patients long distances. Those are both typically treated as deployments or TDYs. You go back to your ER or ICU when finished. I know of at least one full-time CCATT team (now in Guam) though.

Flight nursing is a full-time role where you transport stable, med-surg patients. The focus is more on mission planning and the inter-workings of the plane than on actual patient care.

OUxPhys, BSN, RN · Feb 3, 2017

So Im guessing for the reserve flight nursing then I would need ER or ICU experience?

allnurses Guide · Feb 3, 2017

So Im guessing for the reserve flight nursing then I would need ER or ICU experience?

Air Force Reserve I don't think there is any requirement for ER or ICU experience for flight nurse in the reserves.

jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA · Feb 4, 2017

When I was at COT, there were AF reserve flight nurses with us. They all had ICU backgrounds. I think they said 1 year of critical care. I assume that probably includes ER too.

It doesn't really make sense, since active duty nurses can come from med-surg or clinic backgrounds.

OUxPhys, BSN, RN · Feb 5, 2017

Once I get down to weight I can get more information. The AF Reserve wont give me any details until then and they wouldnt give me the number for the healthcare recruiter who was close to me, which I thought was weird.

5daddy13 · Feb 6, 2017

Hey Sergeant Hopper,

I retired from the USAFR in Feb 2012 after 25+ yrs combined AD/R service; only 3.5 yrs of that was AD. I will graduate with my BSN in May 2018 and considering possibility of returning to either AD or Reserves/Guard. I celebrated my 50th birthday this year and was wondering what the regs say about me returning. I live in Texas and would consider commuting, but not quite to your neck of the woods. Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

I see this is an old thread, but hoping for some quality responses.

amhdet040 · Mar 22, 2017

Good morning,

I am a cadet in the Air Force ROTC program as an aspiring Nursing major but I am not entirely sure if it is possible to commission as a Nurse through ROTC. If anyone has any knowledge or insight on how to become a Nurse in the Air Force through ROTC it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!