Air Force Mental Health ( psychiatric ) nurse demand

[mattyg]

My plan is to get a psych nursing position at at a civilian hospital for six months so I can qualify to join the air force as a mental health nurse. I am curious if once the minimum experience needed ( 6 months) has been met, will the air force be looking for mental health nurses or will I have to wait around forever. If chances of getting in the AF as a mental health nurse are low I'd rather just apply for the Nurse Transition Program today and join the military as a med surge nurse relatively soon. Experience with recruiters tells me what they don't know, they prertend to know. Any advice?

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

I'm active duty AF and I know we need mental health NPs almost desperately. I don't know about mental health nursing as an RN specialty, but I'd take their need for NPs in that line as a good sign.

You're totally correct to have a healthy 'respect' for recruiters and what they know/don't know. The officer/health professions recruiters are indeed better, but there are still those who don't quite cut it (mine was one of them - had I not been a prior enlisted member I have no idea what might've happened).

It can take as long as a year to get in, so if I were you, I'd find a health professions accessions recruiter and I'd go ahead and start the process sooner rather than later.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I'm active duty AF and I know we need mental health NPs almost desperately. I don't know about mental health nursing as an RN specialty, but I'd take their need for NPs in that line as a good sign..

Is there an age limit attached to NPs? That is, do you have to be under a certain age to be considered?