Thanks...I'm going to try to set something up soon. I'll keep you posted!

i'm not even sure the recruiters have "special" contacts they use for stuff like that, but they can help you get the trip paid for. if you don't use a recruiter you'll just have to wing it and maybe call the hospital operator and ask to be directed to the chief nurse or to one of the units. the chief nurse will probably be enthusiastic (or at least curious) about someone wanting to transition from a "cool" afsc like intel to nursing.

I can see how it's confusing! I've printed out a few regs that I'm trying to go thru and then I'm going to email/call AFPC once I have all of my specific questions figured out. The Maj and Lt Col I received emails from so far have been very helpful. One of my concerns right now is if I don't go thru a recruiter how do I get a clinic/hospital tour? Do you have any suggestions? I'm staying at Bolling right now and am somewhat close to Andrews so I was thinking of going over there and trying to schedule a meeting with a nurse...

i was an ima when i started the process, but by the time i took the oath and all i was in the irr. switching to the nc is confusing for everyone involved. that's why i recommended talking directly with the folks at AFPC...they are the ones making the real decisions about what happens. if you get to do the competitive transfer thing that would be awesome. when i started snooping around to see what the options were for me to go back on AD to the NC i heard at least 10 conflicting things about how it would be handled. they almost made me go to COT, even though I was originally commissioned through ROTC (which is far more demanding than COT). they made me go to MEPS to get a physical even though i had an active pha on file. they tried to make me apply for a security clearance even though my ts was still active. a huge mess...but in the end, the breath of fresh air and certainty came from AFPC. even though it was an uncomfortable process, i would definitely do it again.

I work PedsICU... but often we get kids who are only slightly bigger than NICU size. We work 12h shifts...7 in 2 wks. Most people are secured into a specialty (peds, med surg, etc) for at least 1 tour. In my case, Lackland has the only PICU, so my next assignments will all be adult ICUs unless I work some sort of switch to another specialty. Good luck with the base/hospital tour.

I don't think coming in as a 2Lt is that big of a deal, but that is highly personal decision. I guess the biggest problem would be is if you can survive on 2Lt's salary. I'm assuming that you are working as an RN now, if not you should be, because your civilian RN time will count towards rank (1/2 credit for the 1st 6yrs unless things have changed).

Sorry,

I wish I could be more help.

Thanks so much for the info. You're right, it is a tough decision. I really don't know what area I would be interested in working in...I like L&D, but also Peds, ER, OR, so I'm kind of all over the place. I started working in the NICU, but I don't think that's really for me.

I've only been assigned to bases with clinics, so it's hard for me to imagine a base hospital. Do you work 12 hour shifts? What area do you work in? Do most people start out in base hospitals and then go to clinics? I think the best way to really understand AF nursing is to tour a base hospital and talk to nurses.

I called a recruiter last week and again today and left messages. Hopefully he'll call back soon. Thanks again!

that sucks that you were called to active duty shortly after graduating. they didn't give you much time to enjoy your new profession. i think there's something sticky about switching to the nursing corps after you've pinned on major. i had to go through a recruiter in order to compete for the bonuses, and one of the helpful factors in my package was that I had only recently pinned on 03. as for the calculation of rank, it was something like 1/2 my active duty/reserve time + 1/2 my nursing experience. with 4 yrs active duty + 2 yrs reserve + 2 yrs nursing I came back as a 1lt with 6mts to go for 03 again. my tis didn't take a hit when i came back in as far as pay is concerned, but the reserve years I don’t think will count towards retirement. in your case, i would call afpc, specifically the nursing corps folks, to find out how that will affect you. a new recruiter will have a huge headache sorting through that stuff, so you may get answers more quickly by calling the Nurse Corps Education and Utilization Branch at AFPC…at least it’s a start. i don’t have the direct number in front of me (I’m at home), but the main afpc # is 1-800-525-0102. one part of the process is to resign your former commission and take up a new one possibly at a lower rank (since you don't have much nursing experience). most newly accessed nurses only get 1/2 credit for their nursing experience for rank, so nurses who come in as 03 have at least 8yrs experience without any time as an officer. thankfully, ½ your active duty time will get you at least to 02 and maybe keep you as an 03, but your 04 board eligibility will get reset. promotions for nurses are definitely slower than most other career fields, especially one like intel. most of the "senior" nurses i work with are just happy they made major before retirement, whereas in acquisitions, 04 promotion rates are much higher. one good thing is that your pme stays on your record and you don’t have to redo any of that. it’s unusual for officers to do this and many folks just assume I was prior enlisted when they hear me talking about previous assignments (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). so while I’m behind the folks I went to ROTC with, I’m at least doing the job I want. on that note, the clinical side of the af is not routinely as intense as civilian, unless you’re deployed. i don’t know much about the ntp program, but i’ve heard mixed reviews. i’m sure its whatever you make of it. ideally, if you want something like critical care, then you would be better served getting solid experience as a civilian and then coming in, but you probably have a different time line to work with. not sure what your goals are, but getting out of med-surg into critical care can take a while. hope that helps you a bit. it’s a tough decision. good luck…and let me know what other ?? you have. i’m at lackland and have access to tons of nurses all over the hospital who would be willing to share their experiences. let me know of you want to talk to someone in a particular area and i'll set it up. .